Tanzania Begins $1.4 Billion Modernization of TAZARA Railway

 Construction of a modern training center and a transport management center has begun in Dar es Salaam as part of the modernization of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA). The project costs $1.4 billion, the Tanzanian publication The Citizen reports.

The foundation stone-laying ceremony for the future training center was conducted by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Godius Kahyarara.

"These facilities are not just buildings. They represent investments in people, systems, and the operational discipline needed to build a modern railway," said Godius Kahyarara.

The project also includes the rehabilitation of railway infrastructure and the procurement of new locomotives and rolling stock.

Construction began after years of operational and financial challenges that affected freight and passenger services on the railway. The training center will cover an area of 21,800 sq.m. It will house training laboratories, classrooms, conference halls, and offices to support technical, operational, and management training. The center will train engineers, technicians, locomotive drivers, dispatchers, station personnel, and railway managers.

The modern transport management center, in turn, will serve as the central command post for the railway connecting Dar es Salaam with New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia. It will be equipped with modern communication systems, integrated monitoring technology, and digital information management platforms to enhance coordination, safety, and transport efficiency.

"The training center will prepare the next generation of railway professionals, and the transport management center will strengthen coordination and monitoring of train movements across the entire network. These are not just construction projects. They are key building blocks in the transformation of TAZARA," said TAZARA Managing Director Bruno Chingandu.

TAZARA, a railway jointly owned by the governments of Tanzania and Zambia, was built between 1970 and 1975 with financial and technical support from China. The railway connects the port of Dar es Salaam to Zambia's rail network, providing access to SADC and COMESA markets. In September 2025, TAZARA signed a concession agreement under a public-private partnership with the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for the rehabilitation, modernization, and management of freight operations.