President Samia Suluhu Hassan officially launched the construction of the 506-kilometre Tabora-Kigoma Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) section on 20 July 2026 during a ceremony held at Katosho Grounds in Kigoma-Ujiji Municipality.The project, valued at USD 2.74 billion (about TZS 7.

4 trillion), forms Lot Six of Tanzania's expanding SGR network and will extend the railway from Tabora to Kigoma, creating a continuous modern rail connection from the Port of Dar es Salaam to Lake Tanganyika.The government expects the railway to strengthen transport efficiency, reduce cargo costs and improve access to domestic and regional markets.

The project is also expected to support agriculture, fisheries, trade and entrepreneurship by making it easier for farmers and businesses to transport goods while creating new employment opportunities along the route.

Once completed, Kigoma is expected to become an important logistics and trade gateway serving neighbouring countries including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.The railway is part of the second phase of Tanzania's SGR programme, together with the planned Uvinza-Musongati line.When the entire SGR network is completed, it will cover approximately 2,809 kilometres linking the Indian Ocean coast with western Tanzania.

Construction is being carried out by a joint venture between China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) under the supervision of the Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC), with works already reported to have exceeded 10 percent progress.

The railway project is also being complemented by the construction of four new cargo vessels and the modernisation of Kigoma Port, which is expected to increase its annual cargo-handling capacity from 800,000 tonnes to 2 million tonnes by 2027, further strengthening regional trade and investment.