https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70z109nnk4o
'Shaped and coloured like the country’s rare gemstone, tanzanite, the sparkling
new railway terminal in Dar es Salaam is a symbol of Tanzania’s transport
ambitions.
The glass panels gleam in the sun, like an outsize version of the prismatic
bluish-purple gem that glitters in the light.
The trains – powered by electricity, a first for the region – carry passengers
from the commercial hub to the capital, Dodoma, in less than four hours, half
the time it takes by road.
It marks the starting point of one of the country’s strategic projects – the
building of a 2,560km (1,590-mile) Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) envisaged to
connect key cities and link up with neighbours Burundi, Rwanda and the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
The 460km (285-mile) Dar es Salaam to Dodoma leg has been open since August,
when President Samia Suluhu described the railway as “a pathway to our future”
that would "enhance our standing in the region".
In Dodoma, the station is another grand building, resembling the rocky hills
around the city – an effort to blend the country’s natural heritage with
modernity.
It is a reluctant capital. In the middle of the country, it was first
designated the centre of power 50 years ago, but it took the strong-willed late
President John Magufuli to force government bodies to relocate.
But as most commercial activity, and even some government work, continues in
Dar es Salaam, a fast and efficient transport link between the cities has been
seen as vital.
The electric train has also made it smooth and convenient for the ordinary
Tanzanian. A far cry from the experience on the road or the older slower,
narrower train that this service replaces.'
Via
Fix the News:
https://fixthenews.com/276-regenerative-city/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
