Tanzania has launched the first construction projects under the modernization of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA), including a railway training center and an operations control center.
The China-backed, $1.4 billion program will upgrade the 1,860-km railway and convert it to standard gauge to boost freight capacity, particularly for critical minerals exports.
The project aims to strengthen Tanzania’s position as a logistics gateway for Southern Africa, although competition from the Lobito and Nacala corridors could limit future traffic growth.
The Tanzanian Ministry of Transport and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) held a groundbreaking ceremony for a railway training center and an operations control center, marking the start of the railway’s modernization program.
The future training center will cover 21,800 square meters, including 9,641 square meters of built-up area. The facility will train personnel responsible for operating and maintaining locomotives, freight wagons, communication systems and other modern railway infrastructure deployed under the project.
Meanwhile, the operations control center will supervise rail traffic across the entire corridor. The facility will feature next-generation communications systems, integrated monitoring technologies, digital video walls and information management platforms designed to improve traffic management and operational safety.
Warm congratulations on the Groundbreaking of the TAZARA Revitalization Project Training Center and Operations Control Center! Look forward to seeing more and more local Tanzanian railway talents! pic.twitter.com/uCnJ68P65y
— Chen Mingjian 陈明健 (@ChenMingjian_CN) July 17, 2026
The 1,860-kilometer TAZARA railway ranks among Africa’s most important rail corridors.
The line serves as a strategic export route for Zambian copper through the Port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
However, the railway, which China built in the 1970s, now faces aging infrastructure and insufficient capacity to meet growing freight demand.
The $1.4 billion modernization program, financed by China, includes a comprehensive upgrade of the railway and its conversion to standard gauge (SGR).
Upon completion, Tanzanian authorities expect the upgraded corridor to increase freight volumes, particularly mineral exports, while strengthening trade with Zambia and other countries across the Southern African hinterland.
Nevertheless, the project’s long-term success will also depend on regional competition.
The rapid expansion of other strategic transport corridors, particularly the Lobito Corridor in Angola and the Nacala Corridor in Mozambique, could redirect freight flows across Southern Africa and reduce part of the traffic that TAZARA hopes to attract through its modernization program.
This article was initially published in French by Henoc Dossa
Adapted in English by Ange J. A de Berry Quenum