Zambia, China, and Tanzania signed a $1.4 billion agreement Monday to revive the 50-year-old TAZARA railway infrastructure. The deal, after 18 months of negotiations, covers rehabilitation of the 1,860-kilometer line linking Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia.
The project includes upgrades to major workshops, maintenance facilities, and the purchase of 34 locomotives, 16 passenger coaches, and 760 wagons. Ernest Chanda, spokesman for Zambia’s Transport Ministry, said the revitalization project will cost $1.4 billion, including $1.1 billion in initial investment.
An additional $238 million will come from reinvestments aimed at modernising operations and ensuring long-term railway sustainability, Chanda added. Zambian Transport Minister Frank Tayali said the project represents more than railway restoration; it embodies regional integration and economic growth.
Tanzania’s Transport Minister Makame Mbarawa highlighted the potential to boost both economies and create thousands of jobs across the region. Dai Hegen, chairman of China Railways Construction Corporation, noted the firm’s previous involvement in constructing Ethiopia-Djibouti railway projects.
China originally built TAZARA between 1970 and 1976, later handing over the infrastructure free of charge to Zambia and Tanzania, he recalled. The project symbolizes renewed cooperation between Africa and China, reflecting a shared vision for development, connectivity, and sustainable regional trade growth.
With the railway’s revival, officials hope the line will once again become a lifeline for goods, people, and investment across East and Southern Africa.