TAZARA cancels operations in Zambia until 21 April 2014

We just got information from the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) that the Dar es Salaam-bound Kilimanjaro Ordinary Passenger Train that was scheduled to depart New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia on 18 April 2014 at 14:00hrs CAT has been canceled due to the closure of the main line in Tanzania following various incidences that have affected operations.

• all the train stocks are currently in Tanzania, with one of the stocks being blocked in Dar es Salaam where a Heavy Motor Trolley derailed on Tuesday 15th April 2014 thereby blocking the line.
• In the last two weeks, heavy rains in Dar es Salaam have wrecked havoc, causing one major wash-away that dismantled the soil formation and left 40 metres of the rail hanging about 2.4 kilometres from the Port of Dar es Salaam as well as a major landslide affecting about 25 metres of the track, 36 kilometres from Dar es Salaam.
• In Tanzania, the Mukuba Passenger Train that was scheduled to depart on 15 April 2014 was eventually cancelled following delays emanating from the landslide and track blockage that resulted from the derailment of the Motor Trolley that was servicing the landslide site.

Rescue operations are currently in progress at all sites and normal operations are expected to resume by 21 April 2014. The next express passenger trains will therefore depart simultaneously from Dar Es Salaam and New Kapiri Mposhi next Tuesday (22 April 2014), while the next ordinary passenger trains will depart simultaneously next Friday (25 April 2014) from Dar Es Salaam and New Kapiri Mposhi.

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