Revamp to help TAZARA, which connects Zambia to Indian Ocean, raise freight volumes from 100,000 to 2.4 million tons annually

LUSAKA, Zambia

China, Zambia, and Tanzania signed a landmark $1.4 billion agreement on Thursday to revive the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) railway line.

The 1,860-kilometer (1,155-mile) stretch between Tanzania and Zambia was built by China in the 1970s to facilitate copper exports and fuel imports through Tanzania.

The agreement was signed in Zambia's capital, Lusaka, during a visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who, along with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and Tanzanian Vice-President Emmanuel Nchimbi, witnessed the groundbreaking ceremony for TAZARA's revitalization.

Li said TAZARA is a demonstration of China's commitment to promoting infrastructure modernization with the two countries, adding that "TAZARA is a signature project, ushering in a new era of development and prosperity for Tanzania, Zambia, and China."

Hichilema explained that the TAZARA corridor is critical to transforming Africa's second-largest copper producer into a regional transport and logistics hub, facilitating increased trade, investment, and job creation.

"This agreement will improve TAZARA's integrity and capability. We see the TAZARA as more than just a railway line; it is an important economic corridor," Hichilema said.

Nchimbi said: "The project will strengthen trade corridors and boost imports and exports to further integrate the region's economies."

The scope of work for the revamp includes station rehabilitation, track, tunnels, bridges, and associated infrastructure construction, intending to increase freight volumes on the line from 100,000 to 2.4 million tons per year.

Earlier, Hichilema and Li held bilateral talks on the two countries' enhanced comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership, which culminated in the signing of nine agreements covering a wide range of fields. By James Kunda  | Anadolu Agency