Tanzania and Zambia have officially launched the major rehabilitation of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) to enhance regional trade and strengthen transport infrastructure across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African region.
The rehabilitation is supported by an investment of USD 1.4 billion from the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).
The foundation stone-laying ceremony took place on 20th November 2025 in Lusaka, Zambia, with senior officials from Tanzania, Zambia, and China in attendance.
The rehabilitation will involve extensive upgrades to railway tracks, stations, and communication systems along the 1,860km TAZARA line, which spans 975km in Tanzania and 885km in Zambia.
The project includes the procurement of 34 locomotives, 760 wagons, 18 coaches, and 2 passenger trains, with the aim of increasing cargo transport capacity to 2.4 million tonnes by the third year of operation.
The initiative is expected to stimulate trade within Tanzania and Zambia, promote agriculture, mining, industry, and tourism, and create additional employment opportunities for citizens across the region.
The ceremony was attended by the President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema; the Vice President of Tanzania, Ambassador Dr. Emmanuel Nchimbi; the Premier of China, Li Qiang; the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport of Tanzania, Prof. Godius Kahyarara; and the Director General of the Tanzania Railways Corporation, Engineer Machibya Masanja, alongside other government experts.
President Hichilema said, “TAZARA has now become a visible symbol of this great enduring partnership. It is a symbol of the enduring partnership between Zambia, Tanzania, and China. Who would walk away from this path that was carved for us? Nobody. It is our duty to deepen this partnership. TAZARA was important then and important today, if not more important today than ever before.”
For his part, Vice President Nchimbi, representing President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, said, “History teaches us that when Tanzania, Zambia, and China stand together, no challenge is too great. If the founders of these countries could build the Freedom Railway, the current generation can rehabilitate TAZARA and make it a model of 21st-century cooperation.”
The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) was constructed in the 1970s with support from China as a symbol of cooperation between the two countries and to provide Zambia with an alternative route to export copper through the Port of Dar es Salaam, bypassing routes through Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and South Africa.
TAZARA spans 1,860km, connecting the Port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia using a Cape Gauge (1,067mm).
The railway plays a key role in regional trade and integration within the SADC and East African Community (EAC) and is central to logistics for agriculture, mining, and industrial sectors in both countries.
Over the decades, TAZARA has been critical for transporting goods and passengers between Tanzania and Zambia, but the railway has experienced deterioration due to aging infrastructure, wear and tear from heavy usage, and limited maintenance funding.
The rehabilitation is necessary to restore operational efficiency, increase cargo capacity, reduce travel times, and improve reliability, ensuring TAZARA continues to support regional trade and economic development.
