Zambia plus Tanzania commit to TAZARA Railways’ future

The governments of Tanzania and Zambia have accepted to invest an additional US$80 million to the TAZARA railway line that is at present as well receiving extra help from China. The railway line was built about forty years ago to connect Zambia with a dependable rail connection to Dar es Salaam. An option through South Africa’s Apartheid at the time wasn’t practical.

TAZARAApparently this decision was arrived at last weekend during a ministerial meeting of delegates, with about US$9 million paid right away to cover salaries plus any additional operational expenses.

The railway, nearly from the beginning, was dogged with various financial losses, technical issues as well as poor management, plus a number of endless labor disputes, however has made it through against all challenges.

Railway infrastructure innovations are higher on the program of each day in East Africa with a number of projects being carried out, such as the Standard Gauge Railway connecting from Mombasa through Nairobi as well as Kampala all the way to Kigali, then LAPSSET from port Lamu to South Sudan’s Juba as well as Addis Ababa in addition to plans within Tanzania to restore the Central Rail-line, along with plans as well on the table to connect Tanga Port with Lake Victoria’s Musoma.

TAZARA connects Dar es Salaam with other areas of Tanzania in any other case simply reached at using air because of the usually bad road network, as well as still forms a crucial import plus export axis for the national Zambia.

The government of China has over the last months made solid commitments to help in the improvement and renovation of the rail line plus rolling stock, offering hope for all the rail users, which along with the financial invest by these two governments, this railway will sooner or later return to complete operations, reduce the length of the journey as well as add the necessary capacity.