Many countries rely heavily on seaports to promote their well-being and economy. Unreliability of seaport services can considerably impact cargo owners, seaport customers and shipping lines resulting to their dissatisfaction. This study aimed to evaluate service quality of Tanzanian seaports considering Dar es Salaam seaport as a study area. The study discovered the negative gap on the service quality after evaluating seaport user’s perceptions and expectations of delivered seaport services, meanwhile the service quality of Dar es Salaam seaport is poor. Opinions of seaport user’s concerning seaport service quality were computed based on the SERVQUAL model which developed by Parasuraman by considering the essential measurements of Tangibility, Empathy, Reliability, Assurance and Responsiveness. Senior administrators and managers employed in numerous shipping lines in Tanzania were interviewed to check the model validity, then 314 members of Tanzania shipping and logistics associations were engaged in a study survey. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied to validate the seaport service quality measurements and to observe their association with satisfaction of seaport customers using Amos Graphics software version 26. It found that seaport service quality is a five-measure construct; responsiveness was significantly influence customer satisfaction while empathy and assurance could insignificantly influence customer satisfaction. Reliability was found significantly to cause customer dissatisfaction and tangibility was insignificantly to cause customer dissatisfaction. Academically, this research donates to management practice as seaport administrators, managers and executives can utilize the seaport service quality measurements to evaluate their customer’s satisfaction and defending for seaport service quality investments as a relational marketing strategy.

Dar es Salaam seaport serving the Tanzania hinterland and other seven landlocked countries in East and Central Africa, The rapid economic growth of the hinterlands resulted to the increasing demand for overseas products from their country’s residents, this create congestion at Dar es Salaam seaport. Due to this, the connection for the movement of commodities from seaport to its hinterland has noticeably very slow. A qualitative research methodology technique is used in this article to explore the status, challenges and strategies of Dar es Salaam seaport-hinterland connectivity. The findings reveal that even though Dar es Salaam seaport is linked to the hinterland through both railway and road transport, but is hugely dependent on road transport. Regular tariffs increase for imports, insufficient number of trains and wagons connecting Dar es Salaam seaport, poor qualities of roads and railway infrastructures, congestion at the roads and the absence of new freight station are the main existing challenges in which significantly affect the smoothness of Dar es Salaam seaport-hinterland connectivity. Furthermore, the article proposes various enhancing strategies to combat named challenges. These strategies will be crucial to the government in decision making on how to develop and advancing Dar es Salaam seaport-hinterland connectivity.

Ports are increasingly required to accommodate larger vessels, growing cargo volumes, and more integrated regional supply chains, yet empirical evidence on how specific dimensions of port infrastructure modernization translate into regional trade flows remains limited, particularly in developing gateway-port contexts. This study assessed the effects of port infrastructure modernization on regional trade flow at the Port of Dar es Salaam, focusing on Berth Modernization, Cargo Handling Facilities and Equipment, and Port-Hinterland Connectivity Improvements. Guided by New Economic Geography and Trade Facilitation Theory, the study adopted a pragmatic philosophy and mixed-methods approach. Of 238 questionnaires distributed to key port and logistics stakeholders, 210 valid responses were obtained, representing an 88.2% response rate, complemented by semi-structured interviews and documentary evidence. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression, while qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis. All three infrastructure dimensions were positively and significantly associated with Regional Trade Flow: Berth Expansion and Modernization (r = 0.777, p < 0.001), Cargo Handling Facilities and Equipment (r = 0.690, p < 0.001), and Port-Hinterland Connectivity Improvements (r = 0.632, p < 0.001). The regression model explained 64.5% of the variance in Regional Trade Flow (R² = 0.645; Adjusted R² = 0.639; F = 124.580, p < 0.001). Berth Modernization exerted the strongest unique effect (β = 0.512, p < 0.001), followed by Cargo Handling Facilities and Equipment (β = 0.228, p < 0.001) and Port-Hinterland Connectivity Improvements (β = 0.142, p = 0.016). Qualitative evidence corroborated these findings, linking modernization to increased vessel-handling capacity, improved terminal productivity, faster cargo evacuation, and stronger regional connectivity, while identifying policy and institutional coordination as important enabling conditions. The study demonstrates that the trade benefits of port modernization depend on the integration of waterside capacity, terminal capability, and hinterland connectivity rather than isolated infrastructure interventions. It provides empirical support for prioritizing coordinated port and corridor investments to strengthen Dar es Salaam's role as a gateway for regional trade in East and Central Africa.

Consistent service delivery enables rail passengers to plan journeys with confidence and develop dependable expectations about future travel. This study examines the influence of service consistency on passenger satisfaction along Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam–Morogoro Standard Gauge Railway route. A convergent mixed-methods design combined a cross-sectional passenger survey with semi-structured interviews involving railway operations, station and customer-care personnel. Stratified and systematic sampling supported passenger recruitment, yielding 292 usable questionnaires from 300 distributed. Service consistency was measured through predictable travel time, consistency across travel days, dependable frequency, uniform ticketing and boarding procedures, and stability of schedules. Quantitative analysis used descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple regression, while interview evidence was analysed thematically. Service consistency received a mean score of 3.66 (SD = 0.76), and passenger satisfaction averaged 3.74 (SD = 0.72). Internal consistency was acceptable for both constructs, with Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.793 and 0.879, respectively. Service consistency was positively associated with passenger satisfaction (r = 0.552, p < 0.001) and retained a significant conditional association after accounting for train punctuality, operational reliability and disruption-information reliability (B = 0.196, β = 0.210, t = 4.083, p < 0.001). Qualitative findings linked dependable service experiences to uniform procedures, stable travel expectations and coordination across stations and travel days. The study identifies service consistency as a distinct managerial priority within passenger railway reliability. Standardised ticketing and boarding, coordinated timetable changes, consistent frontline guidance and route-level monitoring provide practical means of strengthening the passenger experience. The findings contribute route-specific evidence on service consistency within an emerging intercity railway system.