The Railways of Tanzania

[rogerfarnworth]

This thread is meant to cover all the railways of Tanzania, starting with the old metre-gauge lines.

Over recent years, I have reported events relating to the railways of Kenya and Uganda but have singularly failed to do so in relation to the railway network in Tanzania. This has probably been because of an abiding interest in the railways associated with what is now referred to as the Northern Corridor (when referring to the Standard Gauge Railway network).

It is time to rectify this situation. …

First, a look at the history of the various lines in Tanzania.

The linked article focusses on the history of the Usambara Railway (Usambarabahn) in the north of Tanzania.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/03/16/ra ... -tanzania/

[rogerfarnworth]

Part 2 - The Route of the Usambarabahn

The Route of the Usambara Railway – Tanga to Moshi

In 2018, the Government of Tanzania invested 5.7 billion Tanzanian shillings to rehabilitate the line. As of July 2019, diesel powered cargo trains were leaving Tanga Railway Station again. Passenger transport between Tanga and Arusha was planned to start in September 2019, but has not been commenced as yet. [6]

The line has its terminus in the Port of Tanga. It leaves the Port of Tanga (Hafen von Tanga) to run towards Tanga station and from there on to Moshi.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/04/01/ra ... a-to-moshi

[rogerfarnworth]

Part 3 - The Railway Line from Voi to Kahe

The majority of this line was in Kenya, built to support the war effort in the First World War.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/04/09/ra ... i-tanzania

[rogerfarnworth]

Railways of Tanzania – Part 4 – Moshi to Arusha

The featured image in the linked post is a photograph of East African Railways (EAR) 29 class steam locomotive no. 2904 at Moshi depot, Tanzania, © Basil Roberts and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The Moshi-Arusha railway line is a 86 km extension of the Usambara Railway (Usambarabahn) in northern Tanzania, It was initially built between 1911 and 1929 and rehabilitated in 2018–2019, the metre-gauge line connects the Northern zone to the port of Tanga, and mainly serves as a freight corridor for agriculture and industrial goods.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/04/15/ra ... to-arusha/

[rogerfarnworth]

A number of different articles are under preparation, this is the next completed article:

Part 9 – Narrow-Gauge Industrial Lines

The featured image for this article shows a train on the Kihuhui Bridge on the Sigi Railway in Tanganyika.

Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania) possessed a dense network of industrial narrow-gauge railways, primarily developed during the German colonial era (German East Africa) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to support plantation agriculture and forestry. While the main lines (Central Line and Usambara Railway) were built to 1,000 mm (metre) gauge, industrial, plantation, and forestry lines often used 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) or 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) gauge.

Following World War I, the British administration deemed many of the 600 mm “light railways” to be economically inefficient compared to the, at the time, more efficient 1,000 mm metre-gauge lines, leading to a shift away from developing these smaller lines.

Early Industrial Narrow Gauge lines included: the Sigi Railway; and the Sisal Plantation Railways. Later industrial lines included: the Southern Province Railway, the Port of Bujumbura Railway, and Narrow Gauge Railways near Moshi.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/03/04/na ... a-tanzania

[rogerfarnworth]

Part 10 – The Mkumbara to Neu Hornow Cableway/Ropeway, Usambara Hills, German East Africa/Tanganyika

The western Usambara Hills were characterised by precipitous cliffs and deep gorges. The provision of a rail link between Mkumbara and Neu Hornow was not considered practical.

A 9 km long ropeway was constructed, under the ownership of “the firm of Wilkens and Wiese, and designed to carry cedar from the Shume plateau to the railway, an enterprise that was never an economic success. The longest span of the ropeway, 907 metres, was said to be the longest in the world when it was built in the years 1910-1911.” [1: p75] Wood was transported via the Goatal/Ngoha Valley in the Schumewald/Shume Forest. [2]

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/03/08/th ... tanganyika

[rogerfarnworth]

Part 5 – Tanga to Ruvu (and thence to Dar-es-Salaam)

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/04/29/ra ... -es-salaam

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Part 6 – The British Mandate and the Trust – The Years of British Rule including the approach of World War II

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/05/01/ra ... rld-war-ii

[rogerfarnworth]

Railways of Tanzania – Part 7 – The Central Line – An Introductory History and the Length of Line from Dar-es-Salaam to Mikese

The featured image for this article is a photograph of East African Railways (EAR) Class 30 steam locomotive No. 3019 ‘Nyamwezi’ at Tabora depot on the Central Line, Tanzania in 1968. Class 30 locomotives were oil-burning 2-8-4 steam locomotives. Built in the 1950s by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow, the 26 engines in the Class were named after indigenous tribes across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanganyika (now Tanzania). They were known as the ‘Tribal Class’ of locomotives, (c) Basil Roberts and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 4.0). [44]

The line from Dar-es-Salaam to Kigoma. was known during the German Protectorate as the Mittelland Bahn. Under British colonial control it was the Central Line.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/06/04/ra ... salaam-to/

[rogerfarnworth]

The Central Line - Part 2 - From Mikese to Dodoma

The featured image for this article is from the Tanganyika Guide of 1953. It shows the Railway Station at Dodoma with the New Dodoma Hotel behind. Note too, the station turntable close to the camera – perhaps a bit of overprovision as the station also boasted a turning triangle, © Public Domain [31: p48]

The length of the Central Line which is covered by this article. The map was drafted in the early years of the 20th century under German colonial rule. The place names are the German spellings. This map is licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 3.0). [32]

We start the next length of our journey on the Mittelland Bahn (the Central Line) at Mikese just to the West of the junction with the link line between Tanga and Ruvu.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/08/03/ra ... to-dodoma/

[rogerfarnworth]

Railways of Tanzania – Part 11 – The Central Line – from Dodoma to Tabora

The featured image for this article is EAR 24 Class steam locomotive No. 2443 which was originally purchased by the Uganda Railway by 1930, manufactured by the Vulcan Foundry and Nasmyth, Wilson and Co. The photograph was taken at the Tabora depot in Tanzania in 1968 © Basil Roberts, 1968 and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 3.0). [2]

We start this next length of the journey along the Central Line in Tanzania at the capital Dodoma’s metre-gauge railway station which until the SGR line was opened was the main transport hub for the city, both for passengers and goods. The station is no longer used for passenger services to Dar-es-Salaam to the East nor for travel further West in Tanzania. The SGR line has (in 2026) reached Tabora and work on the line to Kigoma has now started.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/08/16/ra ... to-tabora/

[rogerfarnworth]

Railways of Tanzania – Part 12 – The South

The featured image for this article is a Tanganyika Railway (TR) oil-fuelled RV (River) class 4-8-2 locomotive, later classified as the East African Railways (EAR) 21 class. Locomotives of this Class were used on the Southern Province Railway in the late 1950s and early 1960s, © Public Domain. [6][1: p303]

The linked article looks at attempts by the German protectorate to expand a rail network into the south before WW1 and links to efforts made under the British Mandate to establish a Ground Nut Scheme and an associated railway and the locomotives that were active on that line.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/07/29/ra ... the-south/

[rogerfarnworth]

Railways of Tanzania – Part 13 – WW2 and its Aftermath

The featured image for this article is GB Class Garratt Locomotive 4-8-2+2-8-4 which entered service in 1948. [1: p307]

During WW2, the financial position of the railways in Tanganyika improved considerably, due in no small part to movements of troops and refugees and a significant increase in goods traffic. In 1940, the number of journeys made by passengers was 511,809 which produced a revenue of £93,478. In 1945, the number of journeys made by passengers was 1,524,087 which produced revenue of £345,650. Throughout the system there was a shortage of passenger rolling-stock and many third-class passengers were carried in goods wagons. Goods traffic amounted to 236,512 tons in 1940 and 357,359 in 1945. The revenue derived from it increased from £469,228 to £638,536. made by passengers was 511,809 which produced a revenue of £93,478. In 1945, the number of journeys made by passengers was 1,524,087 which produced revenue of £345,650. Throughout the system there was a shortage of passenger rolling-stock and many third-class passengers were carried in goods wagons. Goods traffic amounted to 236,512 tons in 1940 and 357,359 in 1945. The revenue derived from it increased from £469,228 to £638,536.

The linked article covers the period from the beginning of WW2 until 1948 when East African Railways and Harbours was formed

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/07/16/ra ... aftermath/