October 6, 1915.
Numerous exhibitors and tourists from overseas arrived in Dar es Salaam city one after another. As time passed, the East Africa World Expo was finally about to begin. Exhibitors and tourists who had been assigned accommodation in Dar es Salaam city, or had chosen it themselves, still had to travel to First Town to reach the venue.
There were many ways to get to First Town, but most people chose the intercity railway between the two places. It was the fastest and most comfortable means of transportation.
"The Dar es Salaam Intercity Railway mainly connects the cities within the Dar es Salaam city metropolitan area, including First Town, Bagamoyo, and Soga City—four places in all. Beyond that, Zanzibar Island and Pemba Island across the sea also belong to the Dar es Salaam city metropolitan area. However, the two islands are separated from the mainland by straits, so naturally the railway cannot link them together."
"The Dar es Salaam Intercity Railway forms a loop and is considered light rail transit in East Africa, making it somewhat different from ordinary railways. It mainly uses electric power, whereas most of East African National Railways still use steam and internal-combustion locomotives." On the train bound for First Town, Wang Hailong explained this to Chief Zhang.
The entire Dar es Salaam Intercity Railway was electrified, and Chief Zhang could also see that this railway was anything but ordinary.
A great many power transmission facilities had been built along both sides of the line. The trains on it emitted no smoke; instead, they connected to the power grid through antenna-like devices.
"Isn't this just an enlarged tram?" Chief Zhang's assistant said.
Wang Hailong replied, "That is one way to understand it. They do indeed look somewhat alike. In East Africa, the government has