Tanzania Railways offers traders help
May 18, 2008
LOCAL importers and exporters have been advised to use the Tanzania Railways following the breakdown of the Jinja rail line. The Jinja line repairs are expected to last three to four weeks, according to the latest press reports.
By David Muwanga
LOCAL importers and exporters have been advised to use the Tanzania Railways following the breakdown of the Jinja rail line. The Jinja line repairs are expected to last three to four weeks, according to the latest press reports.
“We can immediately offer importers and exporters a full train within two days.
“We have a train for 20 wagons that is available to move goods from Dar-es-Salaam to Mwanza,†said Ranjan Banerji, the Tanzania Railways marketing agent.
“We are already loading one train but additional capacity is available because we have one full train awaiting transhipment from Mwanza to Portbell.â€
Banerji said the traders would utilise MV Umoja the only ferry that carries a fully-loaded train.
“There is no handling of goods since they are moved from the train to the ferry and back to the train up to Kampala. It takes five days to move goods from Dar to Kampala,†Banerji explained.
He said if exporters were willing, they would send their cargo to Mwanza by road from where it is put on train wagons to Dar-es-Salaam.
“If they do this, they will be able to fulfil their international contracts instead of getting fines for failure to deliver,†he advised.
He said a delegation from the Tanzania Railways would be in Kampala this week to brief the exporters and importers of the facility.
Meanwhile, Reuben Olita in Nairobi adds that the Rift Valley Railway, the concessionaire for the Uganda and Kenya railways announced last week that it had re-routed all transit cargo from Mombasa to Kampala to Kisumu after the railway link to the sea port was cut off by floods at Bugembe in Jinja.
Rodney Boy, the RVR chief concession manager, said the decision would ensure that the entire line was sound.
He said the heavy machinery required for the repairs was being moved to Jinja as quickly as possible.
“We understand the significance of rail transport to the economy of Uganda and the entire region,†Boy said, adding that RVR had eight locomotives on the Tororo side to assist in moving goods destined for Uganda through Kisumu as one option.
Goods from Dar-es-Salaam, he said, would be moved to Uganda through Mwanza and ultimately to Kampala through Port Bell.
In a statement, Boy said the company was expediting the repair works on the collapsed culvert along the Jinja-Iganga section.
The official said inspection and repairs would also be conducted on the sites that are at risk.
Boy said RVR had cleared the blocked culvert to ease water pressure.
caused by seasonal rain and allow excavation works aimed at doubling the reinforcement to proceed smoothly.
LOCAL importers and exporters have been advised to use the Tanzania Railways following the breakdown of the Jinja rail line. The Jinja line repairs are expected to last three to four weeks, according to the latest press reports.
“We can immediately offer importers and exporters a full train within two days.
“We have a train for 20 wagons that is available to move goods from Dar-es-Salaam to Mwanza,†said Ranjan Banerji, the Tanzania Railways marketing agent.
“We are already loading one train but additional capacity is available because we have one full train awaiting transhipment from Mwanza to Portbell.â€
Banerji said the traders would utilise MV Umoja the only ferry that carries a fully-loaded train.
“There is no handling of goods since they are moved from the train to the ferry and back to the train up to Kampala. It takes five days to move goods from Dar to Kampala,†Banerji explained.
He said if exporters were willing, they would send their cargo to Mwanza by road from where it is put on train wagons to Dar-es-Salaam.
“If they do this, they will be able to fulfil their international contracts instead of getting fines for failure to deliver,†he advised.
He said a delegation from the Tanzania Railways would be in Kampala this week to brief the exporters and importers of the facility.
Meanwhile, Reuben Olita in Nairobi adds that the Rift Valley Railway, the concessionaire for the Uganda and Kenya railways announced last week that it had re-routed all transit cargo from Mombasa to Kampala to Kisumu after the railway link to the sea port was cut off by floods at Bugembe in Jinja.
Rodney Boy, the RVR chief concession manager, said the decision would ensure that the entire line was sound.
He said the heavy machinery required for the repairs was being moved to Jinja as quickly as possible.
“We understand the significance of rail transport to the economy of Uganda and the entire region,†Boy said, adding that RVR had eight locomotives on the Tororo side to assist in moving goods destined for Uganda through Kisumu as one option.
Goods from Dar-es-Salaam, he said, would be moved to Uganda through Mwanza and ultimately to Kampala through Port Bell.
In a statement, Boy said the company was expediting the repair works on the collapsed culvert along the Jinja-Iganga section.
The official said inspection and repairs would also be conducted on the sites that are at risk.
Boy said RVR had cleared the blocked culvert to ease water pressure.
caused by seasonal rain and allow excavation works aimed at doubling the reinforcement to proceed smoothly.