Zambia, Tanzania, and China Ink Deal for Rehabilitating Railway

Oct. 6—Zambia, China, and Tanzania have signed a deal dubbed the TAZARA Revitalization Project at a cost of $1.4 billion, of which $238 million will be reinvestments. The Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA) has a length of 1,860 kilometers and will become a development corridor linking Zambia’s copper-producing regions to Tanzania’s Port of Dar es Salaam. The railway was constructed in the 1970s and was China’s first development project in Africa, but it has fallen into disrepair and obsolescence in recent decades. The current agreement, signed on September 30, has been in the making for a year and a half, following a survey of the old line and development of a business plan. The project will be carried out by the China Railways Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC)

The project includes the complete rehabilitation of existing rail infrastructure, including track replacement and reinforcement; the acquisition of new locomotives and rolling stock, including 34 new locomotives, 16 passenger coaches, and 760 wagons; modernization of signalling and communication systems for safer operations; and improvement of terminal facilities. Once completed, the railway will have a capacity of 2.4 million metric tons, representing a sixfold increase from present levels.

The railway will not only give landlocked Zambia an outlet to the sea but also potentially connect with the so-called Lobito corridor, which connects with neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Angolan port of Lobito on the Atlantic.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister of Transport and Logistics Frank Tayali said the project represents the government’s vision of regional integration and economic growth. “It also opens up opportunities for young people, builds capacity in TAZARA and strengthens the bonds of friendship among nations,” Mr. Tayali said, according to the Lusaka Times. Tanzanian Minister of Transport Makame Mbarawa added that the initiative will benefit both countries economically while creating jobs. CRCC Chairman Dai Hegen highlighted the company’s successful projects on the continent, including the Ethiopia-Djibouti Railway and the TAZARA Memorial Park.