Half a century ago, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (Tazara) stood out as a crucial symbol of Africa’s struggle for independence. The 1,860km-long railway connects Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia with Dar es Salaam at the Indian Ocean. In August 2022, Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema made his first visit as head of state to Tanzania. After meetings with his counterpart Samia Suluhu Hassan, they announced that the two governments had agreed to rehabilitate Tazara. They sought to upgrade its tracks from Cape gauge (1,067mm) to standard gauge (1,435mm) through a public-private partnership. An upgrade to standard gauge would enable the Uhuru railway to interlink with Tanzania’s new standard gauge railway. The standard gauge tracks have meanwhile reached the Dodoma region. Contracts for extensions to Tabora and Mwanza have already been awarded. An inter-governmental agreement between Rwanda and Tanzania to build a line from Isaka (on the Tabora-Mwanza route) to Kigali was signed in 2018. Further connections to Burundi, the DRC and Uganda are planned.
SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION
More Stories
Pope Francis Condemns “Economic Colonialism” as He Arrives in the DRC
Encouraging Signs that Corruption is being Successfully Tackled in Parts of Africa
Zimbabwe’s Political Leaders have a Remedy for the Collapse of the Capital Harare
Botswana Cashs In
Scientists Discover Substances and Concoctions Ancient Egyptians Used to Mummify
Cutting Out the Schlep of Registering Nigerien Children
Football Transfers are a Million-dollar Market for Africa
Less than a Month Before Voting Day, Frustrations are Growing across Nigeria
SA Ports Could Lose Business as Three Mineral Rich States Opt to Use the Lobito Corridor
Bringing to Life the Countless Human Stories of Namibia’s Genocide
Trends for African Students Seeking Education Abroad
Floods and Landslides Batter Madagascar