The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) rehabilitation project has entered its active preparatory phase following a monumental $1.4 billion revitalization agreement signed by Tanzania, Zambia, and China. Under a 31-year concession managed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the parent company of which is nearing the finalization of the architectural and engineering designs. The massive 1,860-kilometre railway line is slated for a total overhaul. Contractor mobilization has officially begun on both the Zambian and Tanzanian sides, with structural basements completed as of July 2026. The aggressive four-year project timeline dictates that the first three years will focus heavily on upgrading the main track from Dar es Salaam to New Kapiri Mposhi, rehabilitating auxiliary facilities like workshops and quarries, and procuring an updated fleet of 34 locomotives, 16 coaches, and 760 wagons.
This comprehensive revamp aims to revive a critical trade corridor that had severely deteriorated over recent decades, dropping to a fraction of its historical peak capacity. By transforming the historical “Freedom Line” into a modernized economic engine, regional governments expect to boost annual freight capacity from roughly 400,000 metric tons to 1.2 million metric tons, drastically lowering the cost of heavy logistics, maximizing copper export capabilities to the Indian Ocean, and generating over 20,000 regional jobs. In tandem with these heavy infrastructure overhauls, the corridor is adjusting to modern economic demands; Tanzanian transport officials are actively considering the integration of cold-storage cargo wagons to support the regional agricultural export boom, such as avocados from the Southern Highlands. While the freight sector undergoes this multi-year concession overhaul, TAZARA has simultaneously successfully resumed its essential cross-border passenger train services using consolidated rolling stock, providing a vital transport bridge while the major commercial structural upgrades advance.
The TAZARA rehabilitation project and the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Lobito Corridor represent the two most critical, competing transit arteries for Africa’s critical minerals, effectively drawing a geopolitical and geographic dividing line across the Copperbelt. While the 1,860-kilometre TAZARA railway is backed by a $1.4 billion Chinese concession to funnel Zambian and regional minerals eastward toward the Indian Ocean and Asian markets via the Port of Dar es Salaam, the 1,300-kilometre Lobito Corridor, anchored by the Benguela railway, is heavily financed by a U.S. and European Union-backed consortium to secure copper and cobalt westward toward the Atlantic Ocean for Western supply chains. Operationally, both lines are racing to replace slow, expensive truck haulage with high-capacity rail logistics, but they face distinct regional challenges; whereas TAZARA is currently modernizing an underutilized, intact network, the Congolese stretch of the Lobito route is undergoing a massive, ground-up overhaul led by Portugal’s Mota-Engil to restore long-dilapidated tracks and overcome severe tropical weather vulnerabilities that temporarily bottlenecked Atlantic shipments earlier this year.
November 21, 2025
Zambia has kicked off the $1.4 billion rehabilitation works of Tanzania-Zambia Railway (Tazara) that links its copper belt to an Indian Ocean port, coinciding with the first visit by a Chinese premier to the country in nearly 30 years.
Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema launched the overhaul alongside China’s Premier Li Qiang and Tanzania’s Vice President Emmanuel Nchimbi. This comes after a three-nation agreement was reached last September to overhaul a route with financing from the Mao era, Bloomberg reported.
“The Tazara railway is a signature project of China-Africa corporation,” Li said in a speech in Lusaka, the capital, on Thursday. “China is ready to work with Zambia and Tanzania to let this railway carry hope, brim with new vigour in the new era and provide more momentum for the development of Tanzania, Zambia and Africa as a whole.”
The rehabilitation of the Tazara railway is expected to ease chronic congestion at regional border posts where most cargo currently moves by road. This is especially as Zambia and the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo gear up to boost copper output.
Other than the Tazara railway which is a joint railway development project in the region, the members of the East African Community (EAC) also seek to jointly develop a standard gauge railway network in the region. The East African Standard Gauge Railway will be a major boost in the region as it will enable economic integration by allowing seamless movement of goods in East Africa.
Reported on October 31, 2025
The rehabilitation of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) is a major revitalization effort, spearheaded by an estimated $1.4 billion investment from the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) which is the line’s original builder. This project, which recently saw an agreement signed between the governments of Tanzania, Zambia, and China, is structured as a 30-year concession to CCECC, with an initial three-year phase dedicated to intensive track rehabilitation, signaling upgrades, and the procurement of new rolling stock, including locomotives and wagons.
As a strategic 1,860 km East-West artery connecting Zambia’s Copperbelt to the Indian Ocean port of Dar es Salaam, TAZARA’s modernization is a significant geopolitical move, positioning it as a competitive alternative to the new Lobito Corridor and aiming to drastically increase annual freight tonnage from a current average of 500,000 to approximately 2 million metric tons, thereby easing congestion and securing mineral export routes for the region.
Updated September 30, 2025- China, Zambia and Tanzania have inked a $1.4 billion deal for the Tanzania–Zambia Railway Rehabilitation Project. This railway line is a lifeline for moving copper out of southern Africa. Zambia’s government announced the agreement on Monday.
Under the terms in the agreement, the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) will take on a 30-year concession. The first three years will focus on reconstruction, track upgrades, safety improvements and restoring the line. As for the following 27 years, they will involve full operational management, including rolling stock procurement and maintenance.
Once Tazara railway is restored, it would offer landlocked copper producers a crucial alternative to South Africa’s congested ports and border crossings, where surging output from Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo has clogged road traffic.
Reported on March 22, 2025
The China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) will invest more than $1.4 billion for Tanzania-Zambia Railway Rehabilitation Project. This railway links the copper mines of Zambia to the largest port in Tanzania.
The railway, which is commonly known as TAZARA, is a very crucial route for the copper exports from Central Africa. Additionally, the railway is an alternative route for bypassing the logistics bottlenecks that usually exist in South Africa which tend to delay shipment of minerals.
Tanzania-Zambia Railway Rehabilitation Project Factsheet
Significance:
- The primary goal is to revamp the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) to enhance regional connectivity and boost economic development.
Developers:
- The rehabilitation effort is a collaborative effort between the governments of Tanzania, Zambia, and China.
- The China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) is a key player in the project.
Also read: Tanzania’s Mwanza-Isaka SGR 63% Complete
Funding:
- CCECC is set to invest $1.4 Billion
- $1 billion of the CCECC investment is to be used for the rehabilitation of the rail tracks.
- The remaining funds will be used to purchase new locomotives and wagons.
Scope of rehabilitation:
- The project includes the rehabilitation of aging infrastructure, such as tracks, bridges, and tunnels.
- It also involves the procurement of new rolling stock, including locomotives and wagons, to increase capacity.
Capacity increase:
- The goal is to increase the annual tonnage from the current combined average of 500,000 metric tons for all operators, to approximately 2 million metric tons.
Concession:
- The deal is structured as a 30-year concession.
- The concession will be structured into three years of construction work and 27 years of operation and maintenance.
Also read: $1 Billion Chinese Tazara Revamp Proposal Issued
The negotiations for a 30-year concession are currently still taking place. This is as revealed by Bruno Ching’andu who is the managing director of the Tanzanian-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) which operates the railway line, as reported by Bloomberg.
“The big decision to grant a concession comes after a thorough evaluation of the challenges TAZARA has faced over the years. This therefore necessitated very urgent intervention,” Bruno Ching’andu said.
The Tanzanian government and Zambia’s government have decided to enter a partnership with state-owned CCECC to repair the railway.
Allocation of Funds on the Project
The investment package of the project is inclusive of $1 billion that will be utilized for the rehabilitation of the TAZARA rail tracks. Furthermore, there will be $400 million that will be used for the purchase of 32 new locomotives and 762 wagons.
According to the TAZARA officials, the railway project investment will strengthen trade between Zambia and Tanzania. Additionally, it will also lead to the improvement of logistics for the mining sector and cut transportation costs for both businesses and passengers.
This undertaking comes in as the United States supports a competing corridor for minerals, the Lobito Corridor. Lobito Corridor is mainly centred around a certain port in Angola.
Lastly, in the year 2023, China, Tanzania, and Zambia signed a memorandum of understanding to rehabilitate the 1,860-kilometer railway line. This marks the most significant upgrade to the TAZARA since its construction.
Project Team
The Concessionaire and Technical Lead: China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC)
Oversight and Project Authorities: Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA)
Government Shareholders and State Ministries: The Government of Zambia, Government of Tanzania
Also read: Tanzania’s Northern Railway Line Upgrade Plans Unveiled
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