Dar es Salaam: Tanzania is expanding cargo train services to tackle congestion at the country’s busiest port, as part of a push to turn Dar es Salaam into a regional logistics hub.
Transport Minister Makame Mbarawa said five additional Standard Gauge Railway cargo trains will begin operations from 15 February, supplementing the existing single train that transports around 200 containers daily to inland dry ports at Kwala and Ihumwa.
The measures follow efficiency upgrades by port operators including DP World and the Tanzania East Africa Gateway Terminal (EAGT), which have cut vessel discharge times from seven days to three and reduced berth waiting periods to five days.
Revenue from port operations has jumped from 700bn to 2.03 trillion Tanzanian shillings annually, and container throughput has risen from 800,000 units in 2020 to 1.3 million in 2025, with projections of two million containers soon.
The Kurasini dry port, nearing completion, is expected to handle 150,000 containers in its first phase, further easing congestion.
The expansion is part of Tanzania’s plan to consolidate Dar es Salaam’s status as a gateway for East Africa’s trade and industrial growth.