TAZARA Set for a Major Revival as China Backs Comprehensive 30-Year Upgrade Plan

The historic TAZARA Railway, stretching 1,860 km from Tanzania’s Port of Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia, is poised for a transformative overhaul under a proposed 30-year concession with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation. Long regarded as one of Africa’s most significant pieces of transport infrastructure, TAZARA was originally built with Chinese assistance in the 1970s to give landlocked Zambia an export route independent of apartheid-era South Africa. While the railway continues to handle freight—especially copper, agricultural produce and fuel—as well as passenger services, decades of limited investment have left the line struggling with ageing infrastructure, slow speeds and inconsistent reliability. The planned upgrade aims to reverse this decline by introducing modern engineering standards, new rolling stock and digitalised operational systems, positioning the railway for substantially higher capacity and more predictable service quality.

The revitalisation plan is expected to target multiple layers of the railway system. Key components include track rehabilitation, replacement of worn-out sleepers, modernisation of signalling infrastructure and the improvement of critical freight-handling facilities along the corridor. Upgraded locomotives and wagons—potentially supplied through Chinese financing—would enhance energy efficiency and raise tonnage capacity, while refurbished or reconstructed stations would benefit the thousands of daily passengers who depend on the line. The concession framework is designed to bring long-term stability to operations by establishing a single, well-capitalised entity responsible for maintenance, investment and commercial strategy. For both Tanzania and Zambia, a more robust TAZARA could dramatically improve domestic supply-chain reliability, reduce trucking congestion on highways and provide a cheaper, greener transport option for both imports and exports.

On a regional scale, a modernised TAZARA has the potential to reshape East–Southern African logistics. The corridor links directly to the Port of Dar es Salaam—one of the busiest gateways on the Indian Ocean—and serves as a strategic route for moving copper and mineral exports from Zambia and the broader Copperbelt region. With growing international interest in African minerals, especially those essential for renewable-energy technologies, efficient rail access to ports is becoming increasingly important. A rehabilitated TAZARA could also integrate more effectively with neighbouring rail networks, eventually supporting transcontinental freight flows spanning Tanzania, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond. By restoring the reliability and competitiveness of this iconic railway, the planned upgrade could not only honour its historical legacy but also strengthen economic resilience and regional trade for decades to come.