Speaking soon after launching the train over the weekend in Dar es Salaam, Acting TRL Executive Director Shaban Kiko said that for first time TRL was providing 20 wagons at a time from Dar es Salaam to Burundi.
He said initially TRL used to transport two to three cargo wagons from Dar es Salaam port to Burundi.
“The block train services are launched for business and private companies that can transport up 20 cargo wagons,” he said.
According to the TRL official, the 20 block train launched contained iron coils, the property of UBUCOM of Burundi, and will take three days up to Kigoma and one more day to Burundi.
He clarified that TRL had reduced transportation cost for lose cargo and that protected in the special containers.
He said lose cargo was charged at USD 3,056 per wagon and USD 3024 for fully covered wagons from Dar es Salaam to Burundi compared to the cost of transporting them by road.
Two years ago, former president Jakaya Kikwete and his Burundian counterpart Pierre Nkurunziza launched the beginning of three freight wagon train routes to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda and Burundi, at the Tanzania Railway Limited (TRL) central station in Dar es Salaam.
Source: IPP Media

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