The governments of Tanzania, Zambia and China signed an agreement last week in Beijing to revamp the Tanzania-Zambia (TAZARA) railway, which links Zambia’s Copperbelt region with Tanzania’s Port of Dar Es Salaam.
The modernization project aims to enhance transportation links for critical minerals, goods and services between Zambia, Tanzania and international markets, including China.
Originally built with Chinese financing in 1976, the 1,860-km TAZARA railway will strengthen trade ties between east and southern African countries with global markets, as well as complement the ongoing development of the Lobito Railway Corridor.
In February of this year, China committed one billion dollars to the railway’s reconstruction under its global infrastructure and economic development strategy, the “Belt and Road” initiative. The World Bank also approved $270 million in funding to support logistics infrastructure between Zambia and Tanzania in the same month.
