Rail upgrade to enhance regional trade

Trade and investment across East and Southern Africa are poised for a renewed lift following the launch of a $1.4 billion, China-backed rehabilitation of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, a project expected to restore the strategic corridor to full capacity within three years.

Stretching 1,860 kilometers from Tanzania's port city of Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia, the half-century-old line — originally built with Chinese assistance — is being modernized from a manual system to a semi-automated network that promises safer, faster and more reliable cargo movement.

Bruno Ching'andu, the railway's managing director, said the transition is expected to enhance predictability and overall operational efficiency, repositioning the line as a critical logistics backbone linking Southern Africa to the Indian Ocean.

"By improving connectivity to the port of Dar es Salaam, the project is expected to reduce transport costs for landlocked countries while offering a viable alternative to increasingly congested road networks," he said.

The upgrade, spearheaded by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, will strengthen regional value chains across sectors including mining, agriculture and manufacturing, he said.

"In particular, it is expected to support a surge in mineral exports, especially copper from Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as production levels rise in the coming years," he said.

"Beyond minerals, the railway will also facilitate the movement of agricultural produce, fertilizer, fuel and manufactured goods, making it a vital artery for bulk cargo transport across the region," he added.

Key works

The rehabilitation, carried out under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, entails a full overhaul of the railway's infrastructure and operations.

Key works include a major upgrade of signaling and telecommunications, shifting to semi-automated, satellite-supported systems that enable real-time train ring and more efficient maintenance planning, significantly enhancing safety and reliability.

In addition, workshops and quarry plants will be upgraded, alongside the installation of new railroad tie manufacturing facilities to support long-term maintenance, Ching'andu said.

The program will be implemented in three phases, involving the replacement of worn rails and ties, the rehabilitation of major bridges and culverts, and the strengthening of earthworks along the line, he said.

"On the rolling stock side, new locomotives and wagons will be procured, while existing assets will be refurbished to meet modern standards."

Ching'andu added that survey work across key sections is nearing completion, with detailed engineering designs for the full rehabilitation being finalized.

Freight volumes are projected to rise from about 400,000 metric tons annually to more than 2.4 million tons upon completion, he said.

Train speeds are also expected to increase from a maximum of 40 kilometers per hour to about 70 kph, enabling faster, more reliable services.

Beyond infrastructure, the project is expected to generate significant socioeconomic gains, including at least 5,000 direct jobs during construction across engineering, technical and support roles, with further employment anticipated as operations expand.