TRC responds to ‘second hand wagons for SGR’ claims

Dar es Salaam.  The Tanzania Railways Corporation has responded to claims that the wagons that they have imported for the SGR are second hand.
The TRC made the remarks a day after a weekly newspaper on Monday June 13, linked the delay to a pay dispute and claimed that the locomotives and carriages were second-hand ranging between 20 and 25, which will require major repairs.
But the TRC itself said it had terminated the contract with Turkish company Eurowagon, which was repairing the wagons after failing to complete the construction of two electric train and 30 passenger carriages, for the test runs.
It said according to the agreement, the equipment was supposed to be completed in November 2021, but since Eurowagon failed to meet the terms of the contract, TRC terminated the contract worth 26.6 million Euros on February 25.
Speaking to the media, TRC's Head of Liaison Unit, Jamila Mbarouk said the pilot equipment had to be completed as soon as possible to ensure that the initial operation starts immediately after the construction was completed.
"The equipment was supposed to be completed in November, 2021, TRC terminated the contract and notified them by letter on February 25, 2025 and continued with the task of finalizing the repairs expected to be completed by August this year," she said.
He stressed that TRC does not have a financial dispute with the Eurowagon, as it met the contractual requirement to pay 35 per cent, equivalent to 9.3 million Euros.