TAZARA Railway

Tanzania–Zambia Railway
Tanzania–Zambia Railway
Overview
Status	Minimally operational
Termini	Nelson Mandela Road, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia;
Website	www.tazarasite.com
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Operator(s)	Tanzania–Zambia Railway Authority
History
Opened	1975
Technical
Line length	1,860 km (1,160 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Route map

Tanzania-Zambia
Railway (TAZARA)

Legend

km

0.0

Dar es Salaam

1.9

to Port of Dar es Salaam

3.0

Yombo

18.1

Mwakanga

28.7

Vigama

33.7

Kazimzumbwi

42.0

Kifuru

64.7

Chakenge

70.6

Mzenga

89.8

Nyani

103.0

Gwata

130.8

Kidunda

161.8

Kinyanguru

191.2

Fuga

199.3

Metambwe

217.0

Kisaki

247.1

Lumango

274.8

Pwaga

305.5

0.0

Msolwa

24.1

Kidatu

109.5

Kilosa

Tanzania Railways
Central Line

315.3

Katulukilla

321.2

Mang’ula

331.1

Kiberege

342.5

Siginali

360.0

Ifakara

378.7

Idete

394.1

Ruipa

412.5

Mbingu

430.3

Mngeta

447.0

Ikule

462.1

Chita

480.3

Chisano

496.1

Mlimba

509.1

Lumumwe

521.7

Kimbwe

534.8

Mpanga

555.9

Kitete

569.3

Uchindile

584.3

Mgololo

596.7

Kiyowela

621.3

Kitandililo

633.8

Mahongole

651.5

Makambako

671.5

Wanging’mbe

690.6

Kangaga

704.9

Rujewa

720.7

Msesule

749.4

Chimala

769.4

Igurusi

784.4

Ilongo

800.3

Malamba

810.6

Lumba

822.9

Inyala

832.9

Uyole

848.8

Mbeya

860.1

Mbalizi

872.1

Idiga

890.1

Chikola

915.4

Mlowo

926.2

Vwawa

952.4

Mpemba

969.6

Tunduma

Tanzania

Zambia

border

971.0

Nakonde

982.1

Mwenzo

990.1

Msanza

1,008.6

Kawila

1,023.7

Luchinde

1,038.0

Chozi

1,056.0

Luchewe

1,088.0

Kalulu

1,103.0

Makasa

1,135.9

Kayaya

1,151.0

Chimba

1,169.0

Malenge

1,183.3

Nseluka

Proposed line to
Port Mpulungu

1,212.8

Kungu

1,222.3

Kasama

1,264.9

Nkolemfumu

1,282.4

Ishitu

1,315.4

Chambeshi

1,329.5

Mpepo

1,358.9

Kasongo

1,386.6

Kabuka

1,412.0

Sabwa

1,424.0

Mpika

1,448.1

Chilonga

1,469.0

Kapoko

1,493.2

Kalonje

1,505.8

Salamo

1,525.9

Mununga

1,535.4

Finkuli

1,559.5

Lukulu

1,597.7

Luslwasi

1,593.5

Kanona

1,617.0

Chakalamo

1,643.8

Kawaluma

1,664.2

Serenje

Zambia Railways
to Lusaka

1,690.8

Chisangwa

1,720.1

Ndabala

1,734.9

Mkushi River

1,747.6

Nkolonga

1,773.0

Mkushi

1,792.9

Ngambwa

1,817.6

Lunsemfwa

1,844.1

Luanshimba

1,863.1

New Kapiri Mposhi

1,864.6

649.6

Kapiri North Junction

to Congo DR

The Tazara Railway, also called the Uhuru Railway or the Tanzam Railway, is a railway in East Africa linking the port of Dar es Salaam in east Tanzania with the town of Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia's Central Province. The single-track railway is 1,860 km (1,160 mi) long and is operated by the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA).

The governments of Tanzania, Zambia, and the People's Republic of China built the railway to eliminate landlocked Zambia's economic dependence on Rhodesia and South Africa, both of which were ruled by white-minority governments.^[1] The railway provided the only route for bulk trade from Zambia's Copperbelt to reach the sea without having to transit white-ruled territories. The spirit of Pan-African socialism among the leaders of Tanzania and Zambia and the symbolism of China's support for newly independent African countries gave rise to Tazara's designation as the "Great Uhuru Railway", Uhuru being the Swahili word for freedom.

The project was built from 1970 to 1975 as a turnkey project financed and supported by China. At its completion, the TAZARA was the longest railway in sub-Saharan Africa.^[2] TAZARA was also the largest single foreign-aid project undertaken by China at the time, at a construction cost of US $406 million (the equivalent of US $3.19 billion today).^[3]^[4]

TAZARA has faced operational difficulties from the start and was kept running by continued assistance from China, several European countries, and the United States. Freight traffic peaked at 1.2 million tons in 1986, but began to decline in the 1990s as the end of apartheid in South Africa and the independence of Namibia opened alternative transport routes for Zambian copper. Freight traffic bottomed out at 88,000 metric tons in Fiscal Year (FY) 2014/2015, less than 2% of the railway's design capacity of 5 million tonnes per year.^[5]^[6]

In February 2024, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) submitted a proposal for the upgrading of the TAZARA to standard gauge, as well as for a concession to operate the line, at a cost of $1 billion.^[7]

^ Thomas W. Robinson and David L. Shambaugh. Chinese Foreign Policy: theory and practice, 1994. Page 287.
^ Brautigam 2010: 40
^ Cite error: The named reference Xinhua was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference nytimes19710129 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference tazara_capacity was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference xinhua2016_04 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Kubwa, M. (11 February 2024). "$1 Billion Chinese Tazara Revamp Proposal Issued". Construction Review. Retrieved 13 February 2024.

[dependence-1] Thomas W. Robinson and David L. Shambaugh. Chinese Foreign Policy: theory and practice, 1994. Page 287.

[Brautigam40-2] Brautigam 2010: 40

[Xinhua-3] Cite error: The named reference Xinhua was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[nytimes19710129-4] Cite error: The named reference nytimes19710129 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[tazara_capacity-5] Cite error: The named reference tazara_capacity was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[xinhua2016_04-6] Cite error: The named reference xinhua2016_04 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[:3-7] Kubwa, M. (11 February 2024). "$1 Billion Chinese Tazara Revamp Proposal Issued". Construction Review. Retrieved 13 February 2024.

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TAZARA Railway

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