Nairobi — The Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) has resumed operations on its Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, a day after services were suspended following a derailment near Ruvu Station.
Three cars derailed at around 8am on Thursday as the train approached Ruvu from Dar es Salaam. No fatalities were reported, and there were no indications of passenger injuries.
"Three cars of the train derailed near Ruvu Station. We confirm there were no fatalities. Operations were temporarily halted as investigations began," the corporation said.
A multi-agency team comprising technical experts, the Secretary for Transport, and TRC Managing Director was immediately dispatched to the site to assess the damage and determine the cause of the mishap.
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TRC expressed regret over the disruption and assured passengers that safety remains its highest priority.
"The corporation will continue to cooperate with relevant authorities to ensure the integrity of the railway network and prevent similar incidents," it added.
2017 project
The SGR, launched for partial operations earlier this year, is a flagship project in Tanzania's effort to modernize its transport infrastructure and strengthen regional trade links.
The line serves both passenger and freight transport, connecting Dar es Salaam with Dodoma and extending cargo services between Pugu and Ihumwa.
Constructed by Turkish firm Yapi Merkezi, the multi-billion-dollar project has been financed through government funding and international loans since work began in 2017.
The electric-powered trains are designed to operate at higher speeds and greater efficiency than the country's older metre-gauge system.
Investigators are reviewing track conditions, maintenance records, and signalling systems, as well as external factors such as weather and human error, to establish the cause of the derailment.
This is not the first operational setback for the SGR. In 2024, services were briefly disrupted by electrical faults reportedly caused by animals interfering with power lines, according to The Citizen newspaper.
