At Arusha, the first train arrives after more than 30 years
The first test freight train arrived at Arusha Station after more than 30 years from Tanga on August 13, 2020.
The train arrived with a load of 400 tons of cement, where the Arusha District Commissioner in Hon. Kenani Kihongsi on behalf of the Arusha Regional Commissioner Hon. Idd Kimanta joined the people of Arusha in receiving the train. In the historic event Arumeru District Commissioner Hon. Jerry Muro joined staff from the Tanzania Railways Corporation - TRC by boarding the train from Usa River Station to Arusha Station.
The return of train trains to the Northern Railway is one of the major implementation of the promises of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania to restore the service where in July 2019 the Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania Hon. Kassim Majaliwa officially launched the train transport between Dar es Salaam and Moshi where services are ongoing and soon train services in Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Arusha will be officially launched after successful pilot routes.
For more than 30 years the railway had stopped working and some citizens have never seen a train but for the past five years the Commander-in-Chief and President of the United Republic of Tanzania Hon. Dr. John Pombe Magufuli train has reached Arusha and the people are starting to benefit from the opportunities brought by the train.
In parallel with the arrival of the 800-ton Concrete Experimental Train, the Railways continues to provide awareness education in schools, rallies including bus stations, motorcycles and public meetings to encourage citizens to maintain railway infrastructure and focus on safety in local areas to avoid accidents.
