Tanzania has two rail lines and main stations. Tazara Station, on the corner Nyerere and Nelson Mandela Roads (tel: (022) 286 0344; website: www.tazara.co.tz), is around 6km (4 miles) southwest of the city centre and links Dar es Salaam to cities in the southwest and to Zambia. To get to and from the station catch a dalla-dalla (minibuses) or hail a taxi. The Tanzanian Railway Corporation's Central Line station, on the corner of Railway Street and Sokoine Drive ( tel: (022) 211 7833; website: www.trctz.com), is more central and joins Dar es Salaam to Kigoma, Mwanza, Dodoma and Tabora.

There are three classes of travel based on the number of beds per compartment. Tazara is generally more comfortable, but both operators are prone to long delays and breakdowns.