Dodoma — CENTRAL railway line is set to improve by early next year, following the government's decision to procure new facilities that is preceded by general infrastructure rehabilitation.

Deputy Minister for Transport, Dr Charles Tizeba told the Parliament here that the government is determined to improve the Tanzania Railways Limited (TRL) through short, medium and long strategic plans that are implemented in phases.

According to the Deputy Minister, the plan includes rehabilitation of wagons, coaches and engines. The construction of state-of-the-art stations that will be able to accommodate the demand of customers on daily basis is also in the same plan.

He was responding to a question by Mr Said Amour Arfi (Chadema, Mpanda Urban) who wanted to know when TRL would construct modern facility at Mpanda station.

"We will be able to erect modern buildings in phases only when we are satisfied that railway services and its infrastructure are stable enough to operate on daily basis," he said. Responding to Mr Arfi's supplementary question on the problem of tickets to passengers, Dr Tizeba said other strategies were aimed at taming the problem.