I recently had a chance to travel on the newly launched SGR route from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma and Back. SGR stands for Standard Gauge Railway. The energy used on SGRs could be electricity as is the case in Tanzania, or diesel, as is the case with Kenya.
The experience was overwhelming. The train left and arrived on time, cutting the time duration by bus for the sector Dar es Salaam-Dodoma by more than half (from 8 hours to three and half hours). The train was spotlessly clean. The terminals can rightly be described as out of this world. The staff are well dressed and amiable.
SGR in Tanzania is the envy of many a neighbouring country. Happy Tanzanians are asking themselves, where have we been all this time?
Nevertheless, as we bask in the initial success of SGR, the government is engaging the Chinese to collaborate to rehabilitate the Tanzania Zambia Railway line, which was constructed in the late 1970s, and was a wonder of its own at that time. This is reminder that for SGR to remain shining, efficiency and high quality maintenance are important, very important.
We may take this opportunity to educate ourselves on SGR is particular, and on railway transport in general.
A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of 1,435 mm measured between the inside of the railway tracks. The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after the railway transport founder, George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa.]
It is the most widely used track gauge around the world, with about 55 percent of the lines globally using it. We need not go into the intricacies of why this size, but, most fast electric railways are on standard gauge.
Railway transport, whether for freight or passengers, can be compared to bus/lorry transport.
Railway transport is faster as it does not get caught up in traffic. It is ideal for bulk and heavy transport over long distances. A standard wagon has a much higher load capacity compared to a lorry or a bus.
The SGR I travelled on recently, carried in the upwards of 1,600 people, which could mean the equivalent of 20 high capacity passenger buses!
A single wagon of a freight train can carry between 50 and 70 tons. A single goods train will have around 57 wagons which means a single freight train is capable of carrying around 3900 tons.
The cost of transporting goods and passengers over long distances using rail is less than the cost of transporting the same via road.
Rail transport is also reputed to be safer for goods as well as passengers. This is particularly true when one takes into consideration, the way our diabolical drivers, especially for buses and lorries, break all laws in the books, as they endanger the lives of passengers with speeding and dangerous overtaking.
Rail transport is more environmentally friendly compared to other modes of transport. Trains consume less fuel and emit less emissions.
This contributes to improving air quality and reducing the carbon footprint, a major global concern in this era. Rail transport can be preferred as a sustainable transport option.
However, we need to also consider some disadvantages of rail transport.
One, the routes and timings of a train is fixed and cannot be changed according to individual requirements. Two, railways cannot pick up the goods from the source location and or perform last mile delivery. This means goods require loading and unloading adding to the cost of transport.
Three, rail transport is not a cost-effective option for smaller loads and for short distances. Four, we have to remember that the railway network, especially in developing countries is not as extensive as that of roads.
In fifth place, rail transport requires high initial costs, such as the construction; and high running costs, such as maintenance and operation of the rail lines.
Given the higher carrying capacity as well as the higher speed of the railways, investors in road transport have complained of losing business.
This fear may be unfounded, and pre-mature. Many developed countries have various modes of transport running concurrently, and they all have their niche of the transport market. Buses have to improve their efficiency on routes covered by SGR, but to cover those areas, or nodes not served by SGR; as well as to increase the buses’ overall safety and reliability.
After all, road transport is the most widely used mode in Tanzania, carrying over 90 percent of the passengers and 75 percent of the freight traffic in the country
Welcome SGR. Maintaining efficiency and ensuring that the railway infrastructure is properly maintained should be your mantle.
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Air Tanzania Banned From EU Airspace Due to Safety Concerns
Several airports have since locked Air Tanzania, dealing a severe blow to the Tanzanian national carrier that must now work overtime to regain its certification or go the wet lease way
The European Commission has announced the inclusion of Air Tanzania on the EU Air Safety List, effectively banning the airline from operating in European airspace.
The decision, made public on December 16, 2024, is based on safety concerns identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which also led to the denial of Air Tanzania’s application for a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation.
The Commission did not go into the specifics of the safety infringement but industry experts suggest it is possible that the airline could have flown its Airbus A220 well past its scheduled major checks, thus violating the airworthiness directives.
“The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards for passengers in Europe and worldwide,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
“We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift and decisive action to address these safety issues. I have offered the Commission’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities in enhancing Air Tanzania’s safety performance and achieving full compliance with international aviation standards.”
Air Tanzania has a mixed fleet of modern aircraft types including Boeing 787s, 737 Max jets, and Airbus A220s.
It has been flying the B787 Dreamliner to European destinations like Frankfurt in Germany and Athens in Greece and was looking to add London to its growing list with the A220.
But the ban not only scuppers the London dream but also has seen immediate ripple effect, with several airports – including regional like Kigali and continental – locking out Air Tanzania.
Tanzania operates KLM alongside the national carrier.
The European Commission said Air Tanzania may be permitted to exercise traffic rights by using wet-leased aircraft of an air carrier which is not subject to an operating ban, provided that the relevant safety standards are complied with.
A wet lease is where an airline pays to use an aircraft with a crew, fuel, and insurance all provided by the leasing company at a fee.
Two more to the list
The EU Air Safety List, maintained to ensure passenger safety, is updated periodically based on recommendations from the EU Air Safety Committee.
The latest revision, which followed a meeting of aviation safety experts in Brussels from November 19 to 21, 2024, now includes 129 airlines.
Of these, 100 are certified in 15 states where aviation oversight is deemed insufficient, and 29 are individual airlines with significant safety deficiencies.
Alongside Air Tanzania, other banned carriers include Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), and Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran).
Commenting on the broader implications of the list, Tzitzikostas stated, “Our priority remains the safety of every traveler who relies on air transport. We urge all affected airlines to take these bans seriously and work collaboratively with international bodies to resolve the identified issues.”
In a positive development, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been cleared to resume operations in the EU following a four-year suspension. The ban, which began in 2020, was lifted after substantial improvements in safety performance and oversight by PIA and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
“Since the TCO Authorisation was suspended, PIA and PCAA have made remarkable progress in enhancing safety standards,” noted Tzitzikostas. “This demonstrates that safety issues can be resolved through determination and cooperation.”
Another Pakistani airline, Airblue Limited, has also received EASA’s TCO authorisation.
Decisions to include or exclude airlines from the EU Air Safety List are based on rigorous evaluations of international safety standards, particularly those established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
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The process involves thorough review and consultation among EU Member State aviation safety experts, with oversight from the European Commission and support from EASA.
“Where an airline currently on the list believes it complies with the required safety standards, it can request a reassessment,” explained Tzitzikostas. “Our goal is not to penalize but to ensure safety compliance globally.”
Airlines listed on the EU Air Safety List face significant challenges to their international operations, as the bans highlight shortcomings in safety oversight by their home regulatory authorities.
For Air Tanzania, this inclusion signals an urgent need for reform within Tanzania’s aviation sector to address these deficiencies and align with global standards.
The path forward will require immediate and sustained efforts to rectify safety concerns and regain access to one of the world’s most critical aviation markets.
Source: allafrica.com
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