Contested landscapes: fragments and afterlives of the colonial rail in Tanzania

Abstract

This article traces the fragments and afterlife of the colonial rail as a material object in Tanzania. The rail was a tool for exploitation and proper control of the colony. The rails changed the land. The land was shaped and reshaped to accommodate the rail and aid the colonial project. As the colonial project ended, it marked the start of the demise of the railways and its ultimate abandonment. However, as ruins, the rail has continued affecting people and the Tanzania landscapes in various ways. This article collects fragments and the effects of the rail, both visible and beyond the ruination of the rail itself.