Tanzania Railways Corporation

Name

Tanzania Railways Corporation

Legal name

Tanzania Railways Corporation

Website

https://trc.co.tz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Tanzania Railways Corporation is a state-owned national railway corporation operating passenger, freight, and dry port services across Tanzania's MGR and SGR networks, serving urban commuters, long-distance travelers, cargo shippers, and trade flows to landlocked neighboring countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rail Transportation Services

NAICS

Line-Haul Railroads (482111), Rail Transportation (482), Commuter Rail Systems (485112)

SIC

Railroads, Line-Haul Operating (4011), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Centralized Rail Traffic Control (CTC) & Train Dispatching (TLAJAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Intermodal Terminal Value-Added Services (Cross-Dock, Transload, Stuffing/Stripping) (TLAJAFAL), Rail Terminal Scheduling, Slot Management & Throughput Optimization (TLAJAFAH), Dry Bulk Rail Freight (Unit Trains) (TLADAKAB)

Keywords

• Rail passenger transport
• Rail freight services
• Dry port operations
• Standard gauge railway
• Metre gauge railway

Headquarters

HQ city

Dar Es Salaam

HQ country

Tanzania

HQ region

Africa

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Passenger Ticket Sales: Revenue from passenger transport services across SGR and MGR networks including commuter, ordinary, and deluxe train services with various class options
2. Freight Transport: Revenue from cargo transport including containerized cargo, bulk goods, petroleum products, cement, and general cargo to domestic and neighboring countries (Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, DRC)
3. Dry Port Services: Revenue from Isaka Dry Port operations including container handling, storage facilities, and customs documentation services
4. Catering Services: On-board restaurant services providing meals, snacks, and beverages during train journeys
5. Digital Payment Services: Transaction fees from TRC Prepaid Card usage through partnership with TCB

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) is a state-owned national railway corporation that operates passenger rail transport (commuter trains, ordinary trains, deluxe trains on both MGR and SGR networks), freight/cargo rail transport (containerized cargo, bulk goods, petroleum products, cement), and inland dry port services at Isaka for domestic and cross-border trade to Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It also offers digital ancillary services including online ticketing systems and the TRC Prepaid Card for cashless fare payments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SGR (Standard Gauge Railway): Modern electric railway system with capacity to accommodate passenger trains traveling at 160 km/h
• MGR (Metre Gauge Railway)

Products and services

• Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Passenger Services Electric standard gauge passenger railway network with 1,435 mm track gauge capable of 160 km/h operations, serving passengers traveling between Dar es Salaam and destinations including Dodoma, with planned network expansion to Mwanza, Kigoma, and Katavi.
• Metre Gauge Railway (MGR) Passenger Services Narrow-gauge railway system with 1,000 mm track gauge operating on Central and Tanga Lines, providing legacy passenger transport services across Tanzania with capacity of up to 5,000,000 tonnes annually for combined operations.
• Deluxe Train Service Premium passenger train service with 2nd Class Sleeping, 2nd Class Sitting, and 3rd Class coaches, featuring Victorian-style restaurant car with professional chefs, mobile charging systems, and free WiFi, operating between Dar es Salaam, Kigoma, Tabora and Mpanda.
• Ordinary Train Service Standard passenger train service with First Class Sleeping, Second Class Sleeping, Second Class Sitting, and Third Class Sitting coaches plus restaurant car, operating twice weekly on Dar es Salaam-Kigoma and Mwanza routes via Tabora.
• Commuter Train Service Urban rail service in Dar es Salaam operating on two routes: 12 km from Ubungo Maziwa to city centre, and 20 km from city centre to Pugu, serving during morning and evening rush hours on weekdays for daily commuters.
• Rail Freight Transport Services Rail freight transport operating on Central and Tanga Lines plus the new SGR, transporting cargo including petroleum products, cement, tobacco, timber, cotton, coffee, containerized cargo, and general cargo to and from Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and DRC via Isaka, Mwanza and Kigoma, with 10,000 tonnes per trip capacity (equivalent to 500 cargo trucks).
• Isaka Dry Port Services Inland container terminal with Dry Port status since 1999, handling customs documentation, container storage, and cargo operations for landlocked countries of Burundi, Rwanda, DRC and Uganda, with 11.04 hectares area and over 2.29 million TEUs annual capacity.
• TRC Prepaid Card Co-branded prepaid payment card with Tanzania Commercial Bank (TCB) enabling cashless ticket purchases and ATM withdrawals via Umoja Switch network at all SGR station terminals without transaction fees.
• SGR Online Ticket Booking Electronic ticket booking system for Standard Gauge Railway services accessible via sgrticket.trc.co.tz, enabling online reservations and electronic ticket management for SGR passenger services.
• MGR Online Ticket Booking (eTicketing) Electronic ticket booking platform for Metre Gauge Railway passenger services accessible via eticketing.trc.co.tz, enabling online reservations for MGR trains.
• Inland Container Depot (ICD) Services Container facilities at Morogoro (193 km from Dar es Salaam) and Ihumwa (Dodoma) for regional cargo distribution, transshipment between SGR and MGR networks, and container handling services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2.3 million passengers transported via SGR
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Korea Railroad Corporation Joint Venture (Korail JV)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 May 2026Strategic partnership for SGR development including technology transfer, training, and capacity building for Tanzanian railway engineers and technicians. Cheil Engineering operating under Korail JV oversees design review and construction supervision for SGR corridors connecting Dar es Salaam to Mwanza and Uvinza-to-Msongati line. Collaboration aligns with Tanzania's Development Vision 2050 for Upper-Middle-Income status.
• Yapi Merkezi (Turkey)coreTechnology or IntegrationTurkish construction firm building the SGR network. Jointly with Mota Engil Africa (Portugal), contracted for Dar es Salaam - Morogoro SGR construction. Also contracted for Morogoro - Makutupora and Tabora - Isaka sections.
• Mota Engil Africa (Portugal)coreTechnology or IntegrationPortuguese construction partner working with Yapi Merkezi on Dar es Salaam - Morogoro SGR construction project
• DP WorldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPort operator partnership for Port Link project connecting SGR to Dar es Salaam port. DP World committed to investing in railway infrastructure to handle increased cargo volumes and ensure efficient freight movement.
• Tanzania Commercial Bank (TCB)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership to issue TRC Prepaid Card enabling ticket purchases at all station points without fees, reducing ticket queue congestion. Card also usable at ATMs via Umoja Switch and at restaurants and hotels.
• Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA)strategicTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration to ensure railway infrastructure is built with quality and durability considering weather patterns and geography of each area traversed by the railway. TMA advises on climate adaptation for infrastructure design.
• National Irrigation Commission (NIRC)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration under TIRP II to construct six dams (Dabalo, Hombolo, Buigiri, Ikowa, Kimange, Kidete) in Kilosa, Mpwapwa, Chamwino districts to control flooding and benefit approximately 50,000 households through irrigation, fishing, and livestock farming.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kenya Railways Corporation: State-owned Kenyan railway operating the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) under Chinese financing, competing directly with TRC for East African freight and serving the same hinterland (Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan) from a competing port.
• Ethiopian Railway Corporation: State-owned operator of Ethiopia's newly built standard gauge railway (Addis Ababa-Djibouti), directly comparable to TRC as a government-run African SGR operator with similar World Bank/Chinese-financed greenfield network and parallel legacy network.
• TAZARA (Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority): Bilateral Tanzania-Zambia railway authority operating the 1,860 km Kapiri Mposhi-Dar es Salaam line; connects directly into TRC's network at Kidatu and shares the same freight corridor and shipper base for Zambian/Congolese traffic.
• Rift Valley Railways (operated by SGR Operatos/KRC): Historical meter gauge railway concession in Kenya and Uganda, restructured back into Kenya Railways; serves as a structural parallel to TRC's prior RITES-era privatization experience and ongoing MGR network.

Broad incumbents

• PRASA (Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa): South African state-owned passenger rail agency operating commuter rail in metros including Johannesburg and Cape Town; comparable to TRC's Dar es Salaam commuter train operations and broader mandate to deliver public passenger rail service.
• Transnet Freight Rail (South Africa): South African state-owned heavy-haul freight rail operator, the largest rail freight business in Africa; comparable as a state-owned diversified rail and port logistics operator, though at vastly greater scale and with broader commodity mix.

Regional players

• Zambia Railways Limited: Zambian state-owned railway operator connecting to TRC via TAZARA and serving as the inland counterpart for copper and bulk freight moving through Dar es Salaam; similar state-owned, freight-led operating model.
• Uganda Railways Corporation: Ugandan state-owned railway operating the Malaba-Kampala line with plans for SGR expansion; serves as a downstream partner/competitor for Central Corridor freight to Uganda, with overlap to TRC's Burundi/Rwanda/DRC reach.

Others

• DP World (incl. P&O Maritime, Doraleh): Global port operator that has a strategic partnership with TRC on the Port Link project; included as a strategic enabler/customer that connects TRC's SGR to Dar es Salaam port throughput.
• Indian Railways (RITES Ltd): RITES was TRC's prior concessionaire (2006-2010) and India's state rail consultancy exports operating know-how to African railways; relevant as the historical operator and as a peer in the state-owned railway operator category globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tzrailways
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxAbcYRfDGK1ZJYDB2uBGjA
• Facebookfacebook.com/tzrailways
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tzrailways

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tanzania Railways Corporation