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Central Line (Tanzania)
Encyclopedia
The Central Line is the most important railway line in Tanzania
apart from TAZARA. It runs west from Dar es Salaam
to Kigoma
on Lake Tanganyika
via Dodoma
. A branch leads to Mwanza
on Lake Victoria
.
after the Usambara Railway
. For the Tanganjikabahn-project a company was founded, the Ostafrikanische Eisenbahngesellschaft (OAEG) (East African Railway Company) which started railway construction in 1905 with 21 Million Reichsmarks provided by Adolph von Hansemann
's Disconto Society bank. The building started at the port and capital of that time, Dar es Salam.
From the start the engineers fought large difficulties, the tropical climate, periodic heavy rain and lack of appropriate building material. On the other hand they could count on the experiences from the previous building of the Usambara-Railway. As there meter-gauge
was chosen. The Central Line is the largest technical inheritance of the German colonial age in Tanzania.
The route followed an old caravan route to Tabora
, which gave large logistic advantages. German settlers soon followed with plantations. So the small place of Tabora developed to a large agricultural centre. In 1907 Kilometer 200 was reached in the vicinity of the town of Morogoro
. In 1909 the railhead reached Kilosa
. Kigoma
at Lake Tanganyika at kilometer 1252 was reached in 1914 just prior to First World War. The regular travel time over the total distance amounted to 58 hours. It was planned to develop the line further to Iringa
and to reach Lake Malawi
, a project which was stopped due to the war.
The construction of the line opened up trade
between Lake Tanganyika and the east coast and spurred the growth of the ports at its termini
.
at the south bank of the Lake Victoria
. Another one from Kilossa to Mikumi
and a third one in 1931 from Manyoni
to Kiniyangiri. The last one was shut down in 1948 already.
.
with today's capital of Tanzania, Dodoma
, in the center of the country and proceeds further to Tanzania’s most important port at the shore of Lake Tanganjika, Kigoma
. It crosses central Tanzania completely with a length of approximately 1,250 kilometers and overcomes the height of the east edge East African rift valley
.
Today’s railservices are offered by the Tanzania Railways Corporation
. The timetable offers three passenger services per week in each direction covering the whole length of the line. A trip from Dar es Salam to Kigoma takes approximately 40 hours today according to the timetable. The long time of travel is due to the obsolete state of the railway’s infrastructure, which originates to a large extent still from the German colonial times. Three classes are offered, whereby the second class also provides sleeping car
s and the first class offers sleeping cars only. The standard of a sleeping car of second class corresponds rather to a couchette by European standards.
Flooding in December 2009 caused serious disruption; operations resumed in June 2010.
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
apart from TAZARA. It runs west from Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
to Kigoma
Kigoma
Kigoma is a town and lake port in western Tanzania, on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika and close to the border with Burundi. It serves as the capital for the surrounding Kigoma Region and has a population of 135,234 and an elevation of 775 m.The historic trading town of Ujiji is 6 km...
on Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...
via Dodoma
Dodoma
Dodoma , officially Dodoma Urban District, population 324,347 , is the national capital of Tanzania, and the capital of the Dodoma region. In 1973, plans were made to move the capital to Dodoma...
. A branch leads to Mwanza
Mwanza
Mwanza is a mid-sized port city on the southern shores of Lake Victoria in northwestern Tanzania. With an urban population of 1.2 million and a metropolitan population of 2 million, it is Tanzania's second largest city, following Dar es Salaam and ahead of other major Tanzanian cities of Arusha,...
on Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
.
History
German period
The Central Line was the second railway project coming into existence in the colony of then German East AfricaGerman East Africa
German East Africa was a German colony in East Africa, which included what are now :Burundi, :Rwanda and Tanganyika . Its area was , nearly three times the size of Germany today....
after the Usambara Railway
Usambara Railway
The Usambara-Railway was the first railway to be built in German East Africa and what is today Tanzania.- German East-Africa :A railway company was created in 1891 with the aim, to connect the port of Tanga at the Indian Ocean with the Lake Victoria by passing south of the Usambara Mountains. ...
. For the Tanganjikabahn-project a company was founded, the Ostafrikanische Eisenbahngesellschaft (OAEG) (East African Railway Company) which started railway construction in 1905 with 21 Million Reichsmarks provided by Adolph von Hansemann
Adolph von Hansemann
Adolph von Hansemann was an Imperial German businessman and banker.- Life :Born in Aachen in 1826 to German banker and railroad entrepreneur David Hansemann, Adolph Hansemann developed an early interest in business administration. He left home for Hamburg in 1841...
's Disconto Society bank. The building started at the port and capital of that time, Dar es Salam.
From the start the engineers fought large difficulties, the tropical climate, periodic heavy rain and lack of appropriate building material. On the other hand they could count on the experiences from the previous building of the Usambara-Railway. As there meter-gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
was chosen. The Central Line is the largest technical inheritance of the German colonial age in Tanzania.
The route followed an old caravan route to Tabora
Tabora
Tabora is the capital city of Tanzania's Tabora Region with a population of 127,880 . Tabora region is one of the largest geographical regions of Tanzania.- History :...
, which gave large logistic advantages. German settlers soon followed with plantations. So the small place of Tabora developed to a large agricultural centre. In 1907 Kilometer 200 was reached in the vicinity of the town of Morogoro
Morogoro
Morogoro is a city with an urban population of 206,868 in the southern highlands of Tanzania, 190 km west of Dar es Salaam. It is the capital of the Morogoro Region...
. In 1909 the railhead reached Kilosa
Kilosa
Kilosa is one of the 6 districts of the Morogoro Region of Tanzania. It is bordered to the North by the Tanga Region, to the East by the Mvomero District, to the South by the Kilombero District and to the West and Southwest by the Iringa Region....
. Kigoma
Kigoma
Kigoma is a town and lake port in western Tanzania, on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika and close to the border with Burundi. It serves as the capital for the surrounding Kigoma Region and has a population of 135,234 and an elevation of 775 m.The historic trading town of Ujiji is 6 km...
at Lake Tanganyika at kilometer 1252 was reached in 1914 just prior to First World War. The regular travel time over the total distance amounted to 58 hours. It was planned to develop the line further to Iringa
Iringa
Iringa is a city in Tanzania with a population of 112,900 . It is situated at a latitude of 7.77°S and longitude of 35.69°E. The name is derived from the Hehe word lilinga, meaning fort....
and to reach Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi , is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the Great Rift Valley system of East Africa. This lake, the third largest in Africa and the eighth largest lake in the world, is located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania...
, a project which was stopped due to the war.
The construction of the line opened up trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
between Lake Tanganyika and the east coast and spurred the growth of the ports at its termini
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
.
British Mandate
The British mandate added to the Central Line three branch lines: The most important one of 379 km from Tabora to MwanzaMwanza
Mwanza is a mid-sized port city on the southern shores of Lake Victoria in northwestern Tanzania. With an urban population of 1.2 million and a metropolitan population of 2 million, it is Tanzania's second largest city, following Dar es Salaam and ahead of other major Tanzanian cities of Arusha,...
at the south bank of the Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
. Another one from Kilossa to Mikumi
Mikumi
Mikumi is a town in Central Tanzania. It is near the larger town of Kidodi. Kidodi is located near a railway station and junction of the Tanzania Railway Corporation.- See also :* Transport in Tanzania* Railway stations in Tanzania* Mikumi National Park...
and a third one in 1931 from Manyoni
Manyoni
Manyoni is one of the 4 districts in the Singida Region of Tanzania. The district capital is Manyoni. The district is bordered to the North by the Singida Rural and Singida Urban Districts, to the East by the Dodoma Region, to the South by the Iringa Region, to the Southwest by the Mbeya Region...
to Kiniyangiri. The last one was shut down in 1948 already.
After Independence
After the independence of Tanzania the Central Line and the Usambara-Railway were connected between the stations of Mruazi and RuvuRuvu
- Transport :The town is served by a junction station on the Central Railway of Tanzania Railways Corporation. The branch proceeds cross country to the Tanga line.- References :...
.
The Line
The Central Line connects the Tanzanian metropolis of Dar es Salam at the Indian OceanIndian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
with today's capital of Tanzania, Dodoma
Dodoma
Dodoma , officially Dodoma Urban District, population 324,347 , is the national capital of Tanzania, and the capital of the Dodoma region. In 1973, plans were made to move the capital to Dodoma...
, in the center of the country and proceeds further to Tanzania’s most important port at the shore of Lake Tanganjika, Kigoma
Kigoma
Kigoma is a town and lake port in western Tanzania, on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika and close to the border with Burundi. It serves as the capital for the surrounding Kigoma Region and has a population of 135,234 and an elevation of 775 m.The historic trading town of Ujiji is 6 km...
. It crosses central Tanzania completely with a length of approximately 1,250 kilometers and overcomes the height of the east edge East African rift valley
Rift valley
A rift valley is a linear-shaped lowland between highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geologic rift or fault. This action is manifest as crustal extension, a spreading apart of the surface which is subsequently further deepened by the forces of erosion...
.
Traffic
Tanzania Railways Corporation
The Tanzania Railways Corporation ' is a state-owned enterprise that runs one of Tanzania's two main railway networks.When the East African Railways and Harbours Corporation was dissolved in 1977 and its assets divided between Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, TRC was formed to take over EARH's railway,...
. The timetable offers three passenger services per week in each direction covering the whole length of the line. A trip from Dar es Salam to Kigoma takes approximately 40 hours today according to the timetable. The long time of travel is due to the obsolete state of the railway’s infrastructure, which originates to a large extent still from the German colonial times. Three classes are offered, whereby the second class also provides sleeping car
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
s and the first class offers sleeping cars only. The standard of a sleeping car of second class corresponds rather to a couchette by European standards.
Flooding in December 2009 caused serious disruption; operations resumed in June 2010.
Literature
- Franz Balzer: Die Kolonialbahnen mit besonderer Berücksichtigung Afrikas. Berlin 1916. Reprint: Leipzig 2008. ISBN 978-3-8262-0233-9.
- Helmut Schroeter: Die Eisenbahnen der ehemaligen deutschen Schutzgebiete Afrikas und ihre Fahrzeuge = Die Fahrzeuge der deutschen Eisenbahnen 7. Frankfurt 1961.
External links
- Interior of a 1st class passenger car of the Tanganjikabahn previous to 1918
- Construction of the Central Line.
Maps
See also
- History of rail transport in TanzaniaHistory of rail transport in TanzaniaThe history of rail transport in Tanzania began in the late nineteenth century.- German colonial period :From about 1880 to 1888, a tramway operated in Zanzibar, then ruled by the second Sultan of Zanzibar, Barghash bin Said. The first railway lines in Tanganyika, known at the time as German East...
- Rail transport in TanzaniaRail transport in TanzaniaRail transport in Tanzania is conducted by two companies:* Tanzania Railways Corporation* TAZARA- Railway links with adjacent countries : Burundi - no - proposed DR Congo - decades ago there was a train ferry between Kigoma and Kalemie, in 2007 there are no ferry links and the DR Congo line to...
- Railway stations in TanzaniaRailway stations in TanzaniaRailway stations in Tanzania include:- Maps :* - Tanga and Kidatu lines not shown.* * * * * Look for the MSN Map at the bottom of pages of many towns, or look for the Map Button at the top and scroll down the MSN map.- Central Line :...