New railway line to link Uganda to Tanzania and South Sudan
The new route will be a welcome venture that is likely to improve trade among the three countries.
The planned railway line from Tanzania through Uganda to South Sudan is expected to become Uganda’s second direct link to the coastline, the minister of Works and Transport has said.
Eng Abraham Byandala told Daily Monitor that the proposed Tanzania-Uganda-South Sudan railway line will improve Uganda’s international trade transactions as it will be the alternative route to the sea after Mombasa.
“This will help reduce on the problems the country has been going through as a result of entirely relying on Mombasa Port,” Mr Byandala said, adding; “The railway will also be the main transport route for cargo destined for Uganda and South Sudan.”
Recently the governments of Uganda and Tanzania signed a Memorandum of Understanding and set up a substantive ministerial committees consisting of members from the ministry of Finance, EAC Affairs, Transport and the Attorney General to implement the project.
Eng Byandala said the railway will be a link between Tanga and Nimule through Arusha, Musoma, Kampala, Tororo and Gulu.
The construction of this railway is expected to start in the second half of this year and will go on up to 2015 with a $3 billion budget that is to be funded by the governments of Uganda and Tanzania.
Tanzania recently signed a $4.7 billion railway project that will link the country to Rwanda and Burundi.
Uganda’s railway network on the other hand is in shambles with several parts missing sleepers stolen by scrap dealers.
By Nicholas Kalungi, Daily Monitor
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