TAZARA 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

v t e 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 Proposed line to Chipata 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 Zambia Railways to Congo DR and Lusaka

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, the 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.^[7] A corresponding Memorandum of Understanding was signed at the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing in September 2024.^[8] The refurbishment is to commence as a public private partnership.^[9]