TANZANIA: Tanzania Railways Corp is testing the first of 17 E6800 electric locomotives that Hyundai Rotem is supplying for the standard gauge railway project.
In July 2021 TRC awarded the South Korean manufacturer a 335·4bn won contract to supply 17 four-axle 25 kV 50 Hz electric locomotives and 10 EMUs for the 546 km standard gauge line which is under construction between Dar es Salaam, Morogoro and Makutopora. Hyundai Rotem then let a subcontract worth KC580m for Škoda Transportation to supply the electrical equipment for the locos.
Four of the locos had been delivered by the end of December, and testing was underway from Dar es Salaam.
Initial tests covered electrical and braking systems operating at speeds up to 160 km/h, Transport Minister Makame Mbarawa said on December 11, adding ‘I am satisfied that the locomotive is working well and has great potential.’
- Subscribers can read more about Tanzania’s standard gauge railway in the July 2021 issue of Railway Gazette International magazine.
