China signed a $1.4 billion agreement with Zambia and Tanzania on September 29 to upgrade a key railway line, according to a statement from the Zambian government reported by Reuters.
The deal focuses on the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) line, a vital route for exporting copper from the region. The modernization project includes work on the railway infrastructure itself, as well as the procurement of new locomotives, passenger coaches, and freight wagons.
This agreement follows a 2024 deal where China committed to revitalizing the TAZARA railway. The development comes amid growing international competition for infrastructure influence in Africa's mineral-rich regions, notably with the US investing in the competing Lobito Corridor for copper and cobalt exports.
In a separate development from April, Sudan had proposed that Russia consider the participation of Russian operators in railway and road construction projects, including toll roads, within the African nation.
Alexander Kholodov
