DAR ES SALAAM, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China and Tanzania have taken a significant step toward deepening railway cooperation with the completion of a major training program for Tanzanian railway technicians.

The three-month program, commissioned by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and hosted by Beijing Jiaotong University, concluded on Tuesday with 67 trainees, including 11 women, according to the statement issued Wednesday.

The CCECC said that the training of Tanzanian railway technicians marks the most significant overseas talent-development initiative undertaken by the Tanzania Railways Corporation in recent years.

Approved by Tanzanian authorities in April, the program sought to meet Tanzania's urgent need for skilled personnel to operate its expanding standard-gauge railway network, said the Chinese company.

Participants, drawn from frontline positions such as drivers, wagon inspectors, technicians, freight personnel, and safety officers, received both theoretical instruction and hands-on training, it noted.

The company also said that China's Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College provided practical teaching support, and the training focused on four areas, namely mechanical and vehicle maintenance, passenger and freight safety management, dispatch efficiency, and operational system management.

According to the CCECC, the trainees will return home as "seed instructors," expected to train additional personnel and help build a sustainable talent pipeline for Tanzania's railway sector.

From the historic TAZARA line to today's railway construction projects, the program marks a shift from construction support to joint development of operational capabilities, it added. ■