Rwanda and Tanzania have agreed to construct an electric railway line between the two countries, the transport ministers of Rwanda and Tanzania said on Friday.
This new electric railway line replaces the diesel locomotive railway agreement made previously by the two countries. The new railway, over 400km long, is expected to link the cities of Isaka (Tanzania) and Kigali (Rwanda), reports the Ecofin Agency.
The design change is expected to reduce the time and cost of transporting passengers and goods between Dar es Salaam and Kigali. Thus, trains should reach speeds of between 80 km/h and 120 km/h for freight trains, and between 120 km/h and 160 km/h for passenger trains.
A feasibility study will precede a call for tenders, which will probably be open to the public in July. “We think it will be at least until October that the foundation stone of this project will be laid,” said Tanzanian Minister of Public Works Makame M. Mbarawa said in a statement.
Preliminary studies on the construction of the normal railway between Dar es Salaam and Kigali revealed that the project would cost the two countries US$2.5 billion, US$1.3bn for Tanzania and US$1.2bn for Rwanda.
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