Extensions of the central route branch to the cities of Mwanza on Lake Victoria, Tanga, Singida and Mpanda.

In 2017, Tanzania began the Tanzania Standard Gauge Railway project, which will construct a standard gauge (1435 mm) line parallel to the meter-gauge (1000 mm) Central Line between Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, with a new route branching northwest at Isaka to Kigali in Rwanda.

From the start the engineers fought large difficulties, the tropical climate, periodic heavy rain and lack of appropriate building material.

The construction followed a centuries-old caravan route cleared by Arab traders to Tabora,[1] which gave large logistic advantages.

It was planned to develop the line further to Iringa and to reach Lake Malawi, a project which was stopped due to the war.

The construction of the line opened up trade between Lake Tanganyika and the east coast and spurred the growth of the ports at its termini.

Another $200 million was approved in 2024 for phase 2 from the International Development Association to enhance safety, climate resilience and operational efficiency.

The main stations on this line are: Dar es Salaam, Ruvu, Morogoro, Kilosa, Dodoma, Manyoni, Tabora and Kaliua.