Tanzania Targets 1,500 Rail Containers a Day

TANZANIA · TRADE

Tanzania has set a target of 1,500 rail containers a day out of Dar es Salaam Port, a sea gateway for East and Central Africa. Prof Godius Kahyarara, the Transport Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, told The Citizen on Wednesday 14 October that the plan uses railway lines that already exist.

For US readers, the target matters because the port serves Zambia and DR Congo, whose copper and cobalt exports feed American industry. Fewer trucks and faster clearance would cut the time and cost of moving those goods.

What the Ministry Said on 14 October

Prof Kahyarara said preparations were complete to use more rail to inland container depots, the yards where boxes are cleared. He said the aim is to cut the cost of congestion, which delays deliveries and ties up trucks.

The plan relies on lines that have been improved rather than newly built, he told The Citizen. The newspaper’s Gadiosa Lamtey reported the story on Thursday 15 October.

How the 1,500 Containers Add Up

Two railways make up the total of rail containers. Tazara, owned jointly by Tanzania and Zambia, could carry about 500 a day, and the state operator TRC (Tanzania Railways Corporation) up to 1,000.

The Tazara line already moves up to 100 containers a day from the port, according to the Permanent Secretary. It runs 40 kilometres to depots along Nyerere Road, in Temeke, at the airport and at Mwakanga.

Private Operators Test the Tazara Line

Bravo Logistics and African Inland Container Depot have begun trial runs using hired locomotives and wagons, with capacity for about 300 containers a day. Other depots expected to join could add another 200 a day, which brings Tazara’s potential to 500.

TRC separately runs 22 kilometres of metre-gauge track serving freight and industrial areas in Ilala, Buguruni, Mandela Road, Mabibo and Ubungo. The Permanent Secretary said the existing lines have been improved and are already operating.

The New Standard-Gauge Link to Gate 14

TRC has extended its standard-gauge railway (SGR) by 3.8 kilometres to Gate 14 of the port. The Permanent Secretary said the link allows up to 1,000 rail containers a day to travel to Kwala, Morogoro, Bahi and Isaka.

To prepare, TRC bought diesel-powered wagons for shunting and is rehabilitating 300 metre-gauge wagons. The earnings of the standard-gauge line were covered in an earlier Rio Times report on US$64 million in revenue.

Why the Port Needs the Relief

Chief Government Spokesperson Gerson Msigwa said the port handled a record 138,000 containers in July 2026, the Daily News reported. At that pace the port moves about 4,450 containers a day, so 1,500 rail containers would be about a third.

Port Director Abed Gallus Abed told The Citizen the port handled about 1.34 million containers in 2025/26. He said moving 300,000 containers to the Kwala depot would still leave more than one million to handle elsewhere.

What Industry Groups Say

Meleck Shange, chairman of the Clearing and Inland Depots Association, said truck jams at the port had fallen after recent improvements. He credited a regional commissioner’s order that no trucks may park along roadsides.

Shange said some inland depots still need upgrades because heavy truck traffic crowds nearby neighbourhoods. He added that the port is adding berths and deepening its channel so larger ships can dock.

What It Means for US Readers

Zambia and DR Congo, major copper and cobalt producers, rely on Dar es Salaam as a sea outlet. Transit cargo rose 17% to 14.61 million tonnes in 2025/26, the Daily News reported on 2 October.

The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), the state port owner, is building a container facility with Dubai’s DP World and East Africa Container Terminal. The Daily News reported the plan on 8 September.

The Lobito Corridor, a rail route to Angola’s Atlantic coast backed by Washington, competes for the same minerals. A faster Dar es Salaam route therefore matters for supply chains.

What Is Not Known

No date has been given for when 1,500 containers a day will run, and no rail price list has been published. The Citizen noted that the commercial benefit depends on competitive tariffs, reliable train schedules and efficient handling at the port and depots.

The cost of the Gate 14 link and the new wagons was not stated, nor how many containers TRC carries now. Tazara’s present 100 containers a day is a fifth of the 500 a day it is expected to reach.

More: Tanzania news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Tanzania’s new rail container target?

Tanzania wants 1,500 rail containers a day from Dar es Salaam Port. About 500 would run on the Tazara line and up to 1,000 on the standard-gauge railway.

Who runs the railways involved?

Tanzania Railways Corporation is the state railway operator, and Tazara is the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority. Both lines connect the port with depots and inland destinations.

How many containers does Dar es Salaam Port handle?

The port director said it handled about 1.34 million containers in 2025/26. The government said July 2026 set a record of 138,000 containers.

Why does the port need rail?

Trucks carry most cargo out of the port and cause jams that delay deliveries and raise costs. Rail containers travel together in one train and take pressure off city roads.

Why should US companies care?

Dar es Salaam is an outlet for copper and cobalt from Zambia and DR Congo, which US industry buys. Smoother rail clearance can shorten delays on those shipments.

When will the 1,500 containers a day start?

No start date has been announced. Tazara carries up to 100 containers a day at present, and the standard-gauge line has been extended 3.8 kilometres to Gate 14 of the port.

Sources: The Citizen (Tanzania), Gadiosa Lamtey, Tanzania targets moving 1,500 containers daily on railway, 15 October 2026; Daily News (Tanzania), Dar Port handles record 138,000 containers, 24 August 2026; Daily News (Tanzania), TPA plans four-line cargo railway, 8 September 2026; Daily News (Tanzania), Dar es Salaam transit cargo rises 17%, 2 October 2026.

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