TAZARA: New Life, New Hope

          The new life being breathed in the Tanzania Zambia Railways (TAZARA) line promises more economic activities along the corridor. It also entails actual anticipation of modern infrastructure, 50 years after the rail line was opened. On 29^th September 2025, Zambia, Tanzania and China signed a US $1.4 billion TAZARA Revitalisation Agreement. This agreement will see China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) rehabilitate the over 1,800 kilometres of rail track from New Kapiri Mposhi to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. There will also be rehabilitation and maintenance of some maintenance workshops; and quarries and auxiliary facilities; and the purchase of new locomotives, passenger coaches and wagons.

          The concession period for this agreement is 31 years. Of the $1.408 billion total project cost, the initial investment will be $1.17 billion and $238 million will be re-investments. It is also worth noting that only the freight side of TAZARA has been concessioned. The passenger side still remains in the hands of the Zambian Government. Additional benefits include the fixed Concession fee of $15 million that the concessionaire will be giving TAZARA annually with an aggregate variable fee of 2% of the Gross Freight Revenue starting in the first year of operations to the 31st year of the Concession.

          From 4th to 6^th November, 2025, Minister of Transport and Logistics, Hon. Museba Frank Tayali, undertook a tour of the TAZARA Corridor O THE Zambian side. This tour involved interacting with all TAZARA employees to explain to them what the Concession means and hear their views. Premised under the theme: “Tazara Reborn from Freedom Line to Economic Engine”, Hon. Tayali engaged TAZARA employees on the entire Corridor. He started by meeting employees in Kasama in the evening of November 4 before engaging those at Chozi station in Nakonde District the following day. On the 6^th of November, Hon. Tayali interacted with TAZARA employees at Mpika in the morning and ended his tour of duty with a meeting for Kapiri Mposhi based employees in the evening. In all scenarios, the atmosphere was warm, open and interactive. Hon. Tayali thanked the employess for keeping “this historic railway alive through some of its toughest years”. “We are meeting at a defining moment as the signing of the TAZARA Revitalisation Concession Agreement marks a new dawn for this great institution. This is not just another project. It is the rebirth of the railway that gave Zambia her economic independence.  This project will restore dignity, modernity, and prosperity to all who work on this corridor,” Hon. Tayali told the employees.

          He further explained why the concession was necessary. Hon. Tayali said by 2024, TAZARA was moving less than 300 tonnes of cargo down from 1.2 million tonnes in 1986. He said locomotives broke down, tracks wore out, and market share was lost to road transport. Hon. Tayali said the Governments of Zambia and Tanzania could no longer carry the financial burden alone hence, after broad consultation, both Governments agreed that a private-sector-led revitalisation was the only sustainable solution. “The result is the $1.4 billion concession to CCECC,  one of China’s leading engineering firms to modernise, operate, and expand TAZARA for the next 31 years,” explained Hon. Tayali. It was, indeed, an important marathon undertaken at the right time. The groundbreaking ceremony was done on Thursday 18^th November by President Hakainde Hichilema, Chinese Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Mr. Li Guang, and Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania Mr. Emmanuel Nchimbi. This was done at the Kenneth Kaunda wing of the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka.

          Now that all is in place, Zambians should expect to see a revitalised TAZARA in the next three years, and, of course, more jobs for the locals.