TAZARA PRESS STATEMENT - RE-ORGANISATION OF PASSENDER TRAIN OPERATIONS

Press Statement

Re-organisation of passenger train operations

• Trains will no longer run across the national boundaries but will now intersect and u-turn at Nakonde
• Passengers crossing the border will now be swapping trains at Nakonde

Dar es Salaam, 18 August 2014 – The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) takes this opportunity to announce the re-organisation of passenger train operations and introduction of new timetables.

With effect from Tuesday 26 August 2014, the inter-state cross-border passenger trains, between Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and New Kapiri-Mposhi in Zambia, will no longer run through across the borders.

Instead, the passenger trains will operate as local trains within the respective borders of Tanzania and Zambia, intersecting and both u-turning at the Tanzania/Zambia border station of Nakonde.

Passengers who intend to cross the border and travel by train all the way through to the other country will be required to swap trains at Nakonde in order to proceed to Dar es Salaam or New Kapiri-Mposhi, respectively.

New Timetables

The departure days from Dar es Salaam and New Kapiri-Mposhi remain Tuesday and Friday, whilst the departure days from Nakonde to Dar es Salaam and from Nakonde to New Kapiri-Mposhi will be Wednesdays and Saturdays, in both cases.

In Tanzania, the Kilimanjaro Express Train will depart Dar es Salaam on Tuesdays at 10:10hrs in the morning and arrive in Nakonde on Wednesdays at 12:45hrs. The Kilimanjaro will then u-turn and leave Nakonde the same Wednesday at 13:15 and arrive in Dar es Salaam on Thursday afternoon at 15:23hrs. On the other hand, the Kilimanjaro Ordinary Train will leave Dar es Salaam on Fridays at 10:30hrs in the morning and arrive in Nakonde at 16:16hrs on Saturday afternoon, u-turn and depart for Dar es Salaam at 16:46hrs the same Saturday, arriving in Dar es Salaam on Sunday at 22:49hrs.

Similarly, in Zambia, the trains will depart New Kapiri-Mposhi on Tuesdays and Fridays. The Mukuba Express Train will be departing New Kapiri-Mposhi at 16:00hrs on Tuesday, arriving in Nakonde at 08:41hrs on Wednesday morning, then u-turn and depart for New Kapiri-Mposhi at 18:00hrs the same Wednesday, arriving in New Kapiri-Mposhi at 10:39hrs on Thursday morning. On the other hand, the Mukuba Ordinary Train will leave New Kapiri-Mposhi on Friday and arrive in Nakonde on Saturday morning at 09:48hrs, u-turn the same day at 18:13hrs and arrive in New Kapiri-Mposhi at 13:37hrs on Sunday.

Interface at Nakonde

The timetables for the Tanzanian and Zambian operated trains have been designed in such a way as to allow for the interfacing of the trains at Nakonde station so that any passengers that are crossing into the other country have sufficient time to swap the trains and proceed with their journey with minimum inconvenience.

TANZANIA-ZAMBIA RAILWAY AUTHORITY