Shaped and coloured like the country’s rare gemstone, tanzanite, the sparkling recent railway terminal in Dar es Salaam is a symbol of Tanzania’s transport ambitions.

The glass panels gleam in the sun, like an outsize version of the prismatic bluish-purple gem that glitters in the light.

The trains – powered by electricity, a first for the region – carry passengers from the commercial hub to the pool, Dodoma, in less than four hours, half the period it takes by road.

It marks the starting point of one of the country’s strategic projects – the building of a 2,560km (1,590-mile) Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) envisaged to connect key cities and link up with neighbours Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The 460km (285-mile) Dar es Salaam to Dodoma leg has been open since August, when President Samia Suluhu described the railway as “a pathway to our upcoming” that would “enhance our standing in the region”.

In Dodoma, the station is another grand building, resembling the rocky hills around the city – an attempt to blend the country’s natural heritage with modernity.

It is a reluctant pool. In the middle of the country, it was first designated the centre of power 50 years ago, but it took the powerful-willed late President John Magufuli to force government bodies to relocate.

But as most commercial activity, and even some government work, continues in Dar es Salaam, a quick and efficient transport link between the cities has been seen as vital.

The electric train has also made it smooth and convenient for the ordinary Tanzanian. A far cry from the encounter on the road or the older slower, narrower train that this service replaces.

Inside the train carriage, the seats are tidy, comfortable and reclinable. There is a foldable tray table attached to each one. A member of the train crew is on hand to sell warm and cold drinks as well as snacks.

In economy class there are five seats in each row, three on one side of the aisle and two on the other. In the business and luxury (royal) classes there are two seats on either side of the row, offering more comfort and legroom.

“We are grateful, we are not weary,” Gloria Sebastian who lives in Dar es Salaam, tells the BBC during a trip to visit her household in Dodoma. She is joyful about the convenience that the train provides.

And she is not alone.

The man who is overseeing the building and operation of the SGR service says at least 7,000 passengers trip on the eight daily services on the line, which is already approaching capacity.

Machibya Masanja tells the BBC that the demand has been so high that “we cannot meet it with those trips we are making per day. We expect the number [of passengers] will double or triple.” There are plans afoot to add more journeys.

The popularity means that advance planning is essential as services can be fully booked several days in advance.

remittance must be made within an hour of booking in order to savings a seat. An economy class trip to Dodoma costs a reasonable 40,000 Tanzanian shillings ($15; £11), while going business class will set you back 70,000 shillings ($26).

The early morning service leaves Dar es Salaam at 06:00 but people are required to turn up two hours earlier for safety checks.

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The inside of the tanzanite-shaped building resembles an airport terminal. Passengers queue up and leave through thorough checks just like in an airport. The luggage is scanned and people are sometimes frisked before accessing the boarding lounge.

One man later told the BBC that he felt the intense scrutiny seemed unnecessary, and there does not seem to have been any direct safety threat, but the mood is excellent-natured.

Nevertheless, there is an edginess from officials evidenced by the truth that a police officer questioned the BBC throng who were taking pictures at the terminal – but they were quickly cleared after some checks.

The boarding was tranquil and orderly and the train pulled away on period.

assembly speed – the trains currently hit a maximum of 120km/h (75mph) but can leave faster – it was soon whizzing through the outskirts of Dar es Salaam as the early morning sun began to illuminate the panoramic view.

We cross a vast countryside – scrub and grassland plains interspersed with views of lush farms – and pass a meandering river, craggy terrain and undulating hills.

There were also the tunnels, causing some discomfort in the eardrum.

“You are advised to be chewing something, yawn or keep your mouth open,” the announcer said, to the amusement of some passengers.

For first-timers, the thrill was evident.

Bernice Augustine was with her daughter for a weekend vacation in Dodoma.

“It is awesome,” she says. “You cannot contrast it with the ancient train: it’s convenient, it’s tidy, it’s straightforward.”

Hilaly Mussa Maginga has impoverished memories of going on the ancient line. After the trip to Kigoma he vowed never to get on a train again as he was so weary and his lower back was in pain.

But his curiosity was piqued when he heard about the SGR.

“When you are used to trip for long distances, you sit until it hurts, so when you have this alternative to trip for a shorter period, there is a lot to enjoy. We’ve arrive from far, thank God,” he says.

For Mr Maginga the trip on the SGR is a zen-like voyage, a tranquil, unperturbed trip encounter.

The assignment’s trip to reach this point has not been entirely smooth.

From the initial groundbreaking in 2017, the first section had been scheduled for completion in 2019. But it faced lengthy delays which the railway business attributes to Covid and construction costs as well as labour issues.

There have also been questions about its huge expense, estimated at $10bn (£8bn) upon completion.

Turkish firm Yapi Merkezi is the main contractor for the route’s first four sections, including the Dar es Salaam to Dodoma segment, while Chinese firms are building the other two.

capital has arrive from the Tanzanian government and lenders, including from Denmark and Sweden, the Chinese Exim lender and the African advancement lender.

But Mr Masanja says it is too soon to be worried about profitability, saying this will only be realisable once the entire network is complete. He adds that the service is generating enough passenger profits to offset operation costs, and that from January the business plans to introduce freight trains.

For now, he says, “its social contribution is much more profitable”.

The service has occasionally been disrupted by power setback but Mr Masanja says they are building a dedicated power transmission line, tapping into the country’s vast power creation capacity to eliminate the uncertainty of unstable power.

Using electricity has reduced the expense of operations to about a third of what would have been spent on diesel, which neighbouring Kenya uses to power its own SGR line, he tells the BBC.

“We are the cheapest in the region, and in Africa, in terms of the expense,” he says.

Not everyone is entirely joyful, though.

Adam friend Mwanshinga, chairman of the Dodoma Bus Terminal Agents’ Union, says his members have lost a significant part of their business because of the railway.

The modern bus station in the pool was not so long ago a bustling terminal, he says, adding there are now 4-500 fewer passengers each day.

While it is cheaper to trip by bus, the convenience of the train has been more attractive for many.

“Business is down and life is challenging,” Mr Mwanshinga says.

“The buses can’t fill up and the many businesses here that used to advantage from the many people coming here are suffering,” he says.

However he seems resigned to the circumstance, saying that the SGR advancement “has done well for the majority of the people”.

“It is the nature of life – there are those who advantage and those who will suffer.”

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