Zambia, China and Tanzania have finally signed the TAZARA Revitalisation Project Agreements after over one and half years of negotiations.
The Revitalisation Project will cost US$1.4 billion, of which the initial investment will be $1.1 billion, and $238 million will be re-investments.
The scope of work will include the following among others: rehabilitation of the track from Dar-es-Salaam to new Kapiri Mposhi and the major workshops, maintenance of the existing line and the purchase of thirty- four (34) new locomotives, sixteen (16) passenger coaches and seven hundred and sixty (760) wagons.
And speaking at the signing ceremony this morning, Minister of Transport and Logistics Hon. Museba Frank Tayali said the revitalisation of TAZARA is not just about restoring a railway line but reigniting a vision of regional integration, economic growth, and shared prosperity.
Hon. Tayali, who thanked all parties involved in the negotiations, said the project is about giving farmers, traders, and industries a lifeline that connects them to markets across borders and beyond.
He further said the Agreement is about opening up opportunities for young people, building capacity in TAZARA and strengthening the bonds of friendship among nations.
Hon. TAYALI said the responsibility now rests on all stakeholders to ensure that the spirit of this revitalisation is translated into tangible progress and visible impact.
Tanzania’s Minister of Transport, Professor Makame Mbarawa, said the project will be economically beneficial to the two countries and help create jobs.
Meanwhile, Chairman of China Railways Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC) Dai Hegen outlined other projects the company has undertaken successfully on the African continent.
Mr. DAI cited the railway project that connects Ethiopia and Djibouti and the TAZARA Memorial Park, among others.
CRCC is the Chinese firm that built the TARAZA between 1970 and 1976.
