Kilombero Bridge Progress Photos, page-238

The ferry is a bottleneck but it functions most of the time. It can only handle one Isuzu double axle or container at a time which really slows things down in rice harvest times. Round trip is around 15-20 minutes - slow for distance travelled. I know the teak company are very frustrated and can only partially load containers (due to weight) and repack on the other side of the river before trucking to Dar. Their Ifakara base is near the train station and they do not use the train. I think that gives an indication on the viability/economics/reliability/politics of the train. One concern you should not under estimate are the local people. If there is social unrest and they do not want this mine then it will not happen or at best dragged out. The Pogoro are particularly tough when it comes to land rights and mining. Mahenge has a tough history with the gemstones/mining/investment. Many will need a cut and still never be happy.