The Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) has recorded the delivery of more than 7,500 metric tonnes of freight, in the past five days, following resumption of services.
According to a statement issued by the Head of Public Relations, Mr Conrad Simuchile, 3.624.50 metric tonnes of copper and 2,980.60 metric tonnes of maize comprised the bulk of the cargo that had been delivered to Dar es Salaam. “Other commodities successfully delivered to Mbeya and New Kapiri Mposhi between the 17th and 21st of April include fuel and sulphur concentrates,” the statement read in part.
Mr Simuchile said in the statement that TAZARA train operations were running smoothly since Wednesday April 17, 2013 and that the authority was anticipating moving not less than 10,000 metric tonnes of freight by April 28 this year. He said that passenger trains had equally been running and that both the Mukuba and Kilimanjaro Express Trains will embark on their trips between New Kapiri Mposhi and Dar es Salaam on time.
On Wednesday April 10, 2013, this paper reported that TAZARA had temporarily suspended train operations due to a blockage of the railway over 64 kilometres from Dar es Salaam, rendering it impassable. The suspension followed the derailment of a rescue crane that was at the area attempting to salvage some wagons that had been involved in an accident.
This is the second major disruption that TAZARA has suffered within the last three weeks, the first having occurred last March, this year, due to a wash-away as a result of persistent rains and flooding in the mountainous region of Mlimba in Tanzania.
