Zanzibar Island is the semi-autonomous part of Tanzania – famous for sandy beaches and very popular among tourists. Currently, there are no railways in Zanzibar. In the past, there were two railway lines.
Trains in Zanzibar – Sultan’s Railway
The first railway line on the island of Zanzibar was built in 1879 by order of the local sultan. The line ran from the Sultan’s Palace in Stone Town to the village of Chukwani and, as malicious gossip has it, it was used for the sultan excursions to the harem. The length of the route was 14 kilometers. The sultan died suddenly in 1888 or 1889 (different dates in different sources) when he heard that his palace had been consumed by flames, and his death marked the end of train services. No traces of the mentioned line have been preserved. Initially the two Pullman cars were hauled by mules but in 1881 the Sultan ordered an 0-4-2 T locomotive from the English locomotive builders Bagnall. It was the first country in East Africa which introduced the steam locomotive.
Trains in Zanzibar – Bububu Railway
The second and last railway line in the island’s history was built in 1905. Constructed by the American Company Arnold Cheney, it ran from the city of Zanzibar to the village of Bububu. Trains operating on this route were very popular among the island’s residents and among tourists who arrived here in large numbers by steamships and continued their journey by steam train into the interior of the island. The railway traversed some of the narrowest streets of the city. However, soon the railway began to lose competition to road transport and was notorious for set fire to property and the surrounding countryside.
In the early twenties of the last century, the company sold the line to local authorities (1911). In 1922 passenger services were ceased. The line was completely closed in 1928 or 1930. According to legend, the name of the village Bububu comes from the sound made by the locomotive, and in the village itself, there are still traces of the tracks to this day. One of the railway bridges has also been preserved.
Related articles:
Train travel in Tanzania
Railways in Africa by country
