Tanzania is unlikely to meet the November deadline for the first phase of the 300km-long $1.9 billion standard gauge railway being built between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro.

Sources from the Tanzania Railways Corporation told The EastAfrican that the current short rains have slowed laying of the tracks on concrete sleepers along the line.

The rains have also paralysed drilling works at a hill where a tunnel needs to pass through as well as building of bridges, which have to be constructed in dry weather.

Jamila Mbarouk of TRC said despite a slow down in construction, the SGR project is at an advanced stage. She said construction at various sites has reached 70 per cent.

The contractors, Turkish firm Yapi Merkezi, in partnership with Portuguese firm Mota-Engil Africa have completed a stretch of 210 kilometres and are finalising works on the main stations.

She said the first phase has six main stations at Dar es Salaam, Pugu, Soga, Ruvu, Ngerengere and finally Morogoro. The Dar es Salaam and Morogoro stations will be the biggest.