Kigoma. The Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) is set to employ 2,460 staff to support operations of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) between Dar es Salaam and Makutopora, even as the government has allocated Sh600 billion for SGR and metre-gauge railway (MGR) projects in the 2025/26 financial year.
TRC director general Eng Machibya Shiwa disclosed the government’s funding on August 18, 2025, during an inspection tour by the corporation’s board of directors in Kigoma.
The visit assessed progress on the ongoing SGR construction as well as the rehabilitation of the MGR sections linking Kigoma–Tabora and Tabora–Mwanza.
Eng Shiwa explained that the MGR network stretches over 2,700 kilometres, adding that the ongoing rehabilitation will significantly boost efficiency in passenger and cargo transport.
“The rehabilitation of the MGR network is expected to bring positive outcomes to the transport sector, particularly by easing movement of goods and people across regions,” he said.
He further said the dual investment in new and existing railways will integrate the transport system, reduce pressure on roads and strengthen Tanzania’s role as a regional trade and logistics hub.
Meanwhile, TRC has embarked on a phased employment programme that will eventually see 2,460 new staff engaged on the Dar es Salaam–Makutopora SGR section.
In the 2024/25 financial year, more than 500 workers were hired, while 272 more are expected to be recruited in 2025/26 before the number gradually rises to the target.
These direct TRC employments come on top of more than 115,000 jobs already created by contractors on the first to sixth lots of the SGR.
Of these, some 35,000 were direct, while over 80,000 were indirect, involving food vendors, motorcycle and tricycle taxi operators, and service providers in sectors such as telecommunications.
Officials noted that the government has consistently directed that major investment projects benefit Tanzanians, particularly residents in areas where works are undertaken, while also opening opportunities for others based on their skills and qualifications.
