Tanzania on Thursday, July 25, gave a test run of the standard gauge railway (SGR) service between the port city of Dar es Salaam and the national capital of Dodoma, with more than 900 people enjoying free rides from both ways, Xinhua reports.

The single journey covering 541 kilometres took about three hours and 25 minutes, according to Masanja Kadogosa, the director general of the Tanzania Railways Corporation.

Kadogosa said the train used for the test run, which has 14 passenger wagons, left Dar es Salaam at 6:00 a.m., local time, and arrived in Dodoma at 9:25 a.m.

The official launch of the train service's commercial operations will be done by President Samia Suluhu Hassan next week, according to him.

Kadogosa said the SGR electric train service represented a significant advancement in the country's infrastructure, promising enhanced efficiency and connectivity. The introduction of this modern rail link is poised to revolutionize travel within Tanzania by reducing journey times and bolstering economic activities across regions.

Kadogosa said the entire SGR project will cover 1,596 km from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza Region in five lots.