Cargo haulage through the railway line within Tanzania and beyond its borders is set to increase by 30%, under the open access agreement signed between Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) and Zambia Railway Limited (ZRL).
The recently signed agreement will see train operators running trains all the way from Lusaka, Livingstone or Ndola in Zambia to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
Chief Executive Officer of ZRL, Christopher Musonda, while speaking at the agreement signing ceremony in Dar es Salaam yesterday, said besides boosting the cargo volume, the new arrangement will reduce cargoes moving through roads.
“This agreement will give room for ZRL to run its trains on the TAZARA network and vice versa without hindrance. The shift will be made faster, quicker and more efficient,” noted Musonda. He further noted that the removal of 30% cargo from roads will also save the amount of funds incurred for maintenance, and channelled to other important spending.
The current level of traffic in the corridor, said Musonda, does not support sustainability of the railway industry, the most serious challenge faced. “We should therefore gather suitable machinery as well as roll out the trial trains to anticipate the challenges and come up with desirable solutions immediately,” he said.
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