Close-up of railway tracks in a desert, highlighting transportation infrastructure.
Tanzania and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation have broken ground on a training center and operations control facility, launching a broader $1.4 billion modernization of the TAZARA railway. The training center will prepare staff to operate modern locomotives, freight systems, and communications infrastructure. The operations control center will oversee rail traffic along the full corridor using advanced monitoring and digital management tools. Built by China in the 1970s, the 1,860-kilometer TAZARA line is a vital export route for Zambian copper through Tanzania’s Port of Dar es Salaam. However, aging infrastructure has limited its capacity. The China-financed project will convert the line to standard gauge and expand freight capacity, strengthening regional trade. However, its long-term competitiveness may depend on how it fares against emerging transport routes such as Angola’s Lobito Corridor and Mozambique’s Nacala Corridor.
Ecofin Agency