How Extreme Weather is Testing Tanzania’s $2 Billion Electric Railway Dream By Kizito Makoye Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service.

Around the world, railways are considered as pillars of climate action. Electric trains produce fewer emissions than road or air transport. Yet the experience of Tanzania’s Standard Gauge Railway highlights a growing paradox: infrastructure designed to be climate-friendly is itself increasingly exposed to climate shocks. https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/01/how-extreme-weather-is-testing-tanzanias-2-billion-electric-railway-dream/ DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, Jan 19 2026 (IPS) - On a rainy Wednesday morning, in Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania, the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) terminal bustled with a steady flow of passengers. Women ushered toddlers along. Snack bags dangling on their hands. Tourists dragged wheeled suitcases across the floor. Students scrolled through smartphones as they returned to campus. Each had been attracted by the speed, reliability and comfort of the electric train. Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service.