I remember the first videos that surfaced: families gathered near the tracks, children pointing at the speeding locomotive, parents cheering as if Tanzania had just qualified for the World Cup. There was no cargo on that test train, just the sheer emotion of possibility. It wasn’t about economics that day. It was about dignity, about being seen, about finally having a train that felt modern, ours, and within reach.
But weeks passed. The public buzz softened. Technical briefings dominated, and policy documents began speaking a different language, freight corridors, load factors, and inland depots. As a veteran observer of Tanzanian infrastructure, I understood the shift. Moving goods brings economic returns. But as a policy analyst, I also know this: infrastructure that doesn’t move people literally and politically often loses legitimacy.
Tanzania’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is often framed as a logistics revolution. But ordinary citizens continue to ask a more straightforward question: Can I ride it? This article explores the rising tension between freight-led strategy and passenger expectations, unpacking whether the SGR is truly being built with people in mind or whether they remain a footnote in the balance sheet.
Historical Amnesia: When Rail Was for People, Not Just Cargo
Decades ago, trains weren’t a fantasy. They were a lifeline. I remember boarding the Central Line in the 1980s, dusty, crowded, but pulsing with life. Traders, students, farmers, soldiers all bundled together in wagons that defined the rhythm of rural-urban movement. Rail was a people’s service. Its economic value was inseparable from its social presence.
Yet today, the conversation has shifted. The SGR is portrayed mainly as a freight solution. In the group discussions we’ve studied, this disconnect is palpable. Participants frequently reference the neglect of passenger services in favor of cargo, expressing concern that modern trains are being designed without a clear policy for mass public transport. One sentiment stood out: “Even if it’s the best in the region, if ordinary people can’t use it, it’s just a picture on a billboard.”
And that’s not just nostalgia talking. There’s a real policy risk here. Public infrastructure cannot be divorced from public experience. When ordinary citizens feel excluded, no amount of economic modeling can build trust. The railways of the past weren’t efficient, but they were accessible. The question now is whether we’ve sacrificed inclusion in pursuit of efficiency.
The Political Power of Passenger Rail
As an editor who’s covered Tanzanian elections for over two decades, I’ve come to understand something many engineers miss: passenger transport is deeply political. The ability of ordinary people to move safely, affordably, and with dignity is one of the most tangible ways they interact with their government.
The discussions among professionals revealed this. Many described the SGR as a test case not just of infrastructure delivery, but of citizen-centered governance. There’s a widely held belief that if passengers remain sidelined, the government may lose the moral high ground it has claimed in delivering “development for all.”
The optics matter. An empty cargo train won’t make the evening news. But families boarding a sleek new coach from Dar to Dodoma? That makes a statement. The SGR, whether we admit it or not, is also a theatre, a symbol of modernity, progress, and inclusion. It’s why the early test rides were filled with officials, journalists, and musicians. It wasn’t just transportation; it was a message: “This is what your taxes built.”
And yet, without clear, affordable passenger services, that message begins to unravel. As analysts, we must confront this trade-off: freight sustains the rail financially, but passengers sustain it politically. Both are needed. Prioritizing one while neglecting the other may jeopardize public confidence in the project itself.
The Affordability Question: Who Can Ride the SGR?
Pricing is never just economic; it’s moral. From the debates I’ve followed, one issue consistently ignites concern: Will the SGR be priced out of reach for the ordinary Tanzanian?
Preliminary figures floating in public discussions suggest tiered ticketing, first class, business class, and economy, mirroring models used in Kenya’s Madaraka Express. But what does “economy” mean in a country where the majority travel by bus because even coach fares are a stretch?
Policy professionals in the discussions raised concerns about cost-recovery pressures leading to pricing structures that exclude low-income passengers. One voice noted: “If we replicate airline pricing on a train meant for mass use, we’ve missed the point.” The risk is real: that passenger services become a luxury product, subsidized by political messaging but inaccessible in practice.
The pricing dilemma also reflects more profound economic contradictions. On one hand, Tanzania needs the SGR to recoup costs and remain viable. On the other hand, the public views the railway as a taxpayer-funded right. This contradiction breeds frustration, and if unaddressed, disillusionment.
Here’s where policy must find middle ground. Subsidies for select routes? Tiered services with true low-cost options? Partnerships with regional bus companies to integrate last-mile access? These aren’t just technical fixes. They’re political necessities.
Regional Experience: What Kenya and Ethiopia Reveal About Passenger Priorities
As someone who’s watched the East African rail resurgence unfold, I can tell you this: Kenya’s Madaraka Express and Ethiopia’s light rail systems were not just transport projects. They were public statements.
Kenya’s SGR began with a clear public orientation. Daily passenger services between Mombasa and Nairobi created immediate visibility. Kenyans took selfies, media houses covered every milestone, and the government leaned into the symbolism. But behind the gloss, cracks soon emerged: passenger services ran at a loss, requiring cross-subsidies from freight, and eventually struggled to justify ticket pricing versus cost.
Ethiopia’s case was different. Their light rail system, built for Addis Ababa’s urban commuters, was hailed as the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa. It was people-centered from day one. But technical issues, unreliable service, and poor maintenance quickly eroded public trust.
These examples underscore a delicate balance where visibility matters. Public ridership builds legitimacy. But viability matters, too. An editor sees the story; an analyst considers the ledger. If Tanzania’s SGR is to deliver both, we must draw hard lessons: do not over-promise on accessibility if pricing and service delivery cannot match. And do not underinvest in the systems that sustain passenger trust, reliability, safety, cleanliness, and ease of ticketing.
Visibility vs. Viability: The Political Dilemma
There’s a quiet but growing frustration in Tanzanian discourse: if this railway was built with public funds, why does it feel like a private service? I’ve heard it said that the most visible state project in decades may end up being the most distant from the daily life of the ordinary citizen.
This isn’t just about class access, it’s about public trust. Analysts in the group debates framed this well: the SGR risks becoming a paradox. Visually stunning, economically strategic, but socially invisible. Freight pays the bills, yes. But public opinion, especially in election seasons, demands something more immediate: “Can I ride it? Can my family ride it?”
This dilemma is not new. Infrastructure projects across Africa have walked the same tightrope. Make it too elite, and you lose the crowd. Make it too cheap, and you lose the balance sheet. But what makes Tanzania’s case unique is the sheer symbolic power the SGR has acquired. This is not just steel and concrete. It’s a metaphor for progress.
And metaphors, unlike spreadsheets, are judged by how they feel.
Designing a Passenger Policy That Delivers
Here’s where the policy analyst in me must speak plainly. If Tanzania wants the SGR to survive economically and thrive politically, we need a passenger policy that isn’t reactive; it must be designed with intention.
1. Implement truly tiered pricing:
Don’t just borrow class categories from airline models. Study real commuter behavior. Define an ultra-affordable tier for essential travel, especially between regional growth corridors like Morogoro-Dodoma or Dar-Mwanza in the future.
2. Invest in last-mile integration:
A train that drops people miles away from their homes or jobs is incomplete. Coordinate with regional bus companies, boda-boda unions, and even tuk-tuk cooperatives to ensure door-to-door connectivity. Infrastructure is not just rails, it’s networks.
3. Communicate timelines transparently:
One of the most persistent frustrations in public discussions is the confusion about when and where passenger services will be available. A clear, visual, and regularly updated SGR passenger rollout plan should be published, including dates, cities, and prices.
4. Pilot regional public service days:
Consider offering occasional free or subsidized passenger services for students, traders, or the elderly. These can serve as goodwill gestures while evaluating system load and gathering citizen feedback.
5. Reinvest in public trust, not just PR:
Visibility doesn’t mean putting artists on the inaugural ride. It means giving ordinary people a reason to say: “This is ours.” Every policy decision, every announcement, should be measured by that bar.
These aren’t just tweaks, they’re structural imperatives. They are what transform a transport system into a national asset, not just a strategic investment.
If the People Can’t Ride, It’s Not Progress
After years of tracking Tanzania’s policy shifts, I’ve learned that infrastructure is never just about cement or steel, it’s about trust. Trains carry more than cargo or passengers; they carry stories. Aspirations. Expectations. And when those stories are written without the people in mind, they stop resonating, no matter how efficient the project may be on paper.
The SGR has already captured the imagination of Tanzanians. But sustaining that imagination will require more than test rides and ribbon cuttings. It will require tangible inclusion, trains that people not only see, but board. Fares they can afford. Schedules they can trust. Journeys they can plan.
As an editor, I’ve watched how narratives rise and fall with public emotion. As an analyst, I know numbers don’t lie — but they also don’t inspire. The SGR must do both: deliver economic return and earn emotional return. That’s how nation-building infrastructure works. That’s how you turn a train into a movement.
Because if ordinary Tanzanians — the traders, students, grandmothers, and job-seekers — cannot ride the train of progress, then we are not moving forward. We are watching from the tracks.Let’s ensure this railway carries not just cargo, but the people who make Tanzania move.
Read more articles by Dr. Wilson Pesabelele