DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania & LUSAKA, Zambia – April 13, 2026 – The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) heads to the high level Land-Linked Zambia 2026 Conference and Exhibition (23–24 April) and The Corridor Economy Forum 2026 (May 7–8) – both to be hosted in Lusaka – to discuss new investment openings and call on logistics companies to seize the opportunities emerging from its $1.4 billion revitalisation project.

The Authority’s CEO will join two forums sharing a common mission – making Africa’s transport corridors the engine of prosperity and export growth – with Land-Linked Zambia’s theme “Re-Imagining Africa’s Transport Corridors for Prosperity” and TCEF’s “Mapping, Financing & Populating Industrial Hubs for Billion-Dollar Exports on Zambia’s New Corridors.”

At the forums, TAZARA will unveil key details of the railway’s revitalisation through its $1.4 billion capital investment programme – the single largest revitalisation effort in the railway’s history – undertaken in strategic partnership with CCECC (China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation), a subsidiary of CRCC (China Railway Construction Corporation).

Transformative Freight Growth Targets

The three-year rehabilitation programme is already underway, currently at the survey and design stage. Upon completion, TAZARA projects:

Year one of operations: Freight volume to reach 1.2 million tonnes

Within four years: Volumes to grow from the current 400,000 tonnes to over 2.4 million tonnes

Transit time between Dar es Salaam and New Kapiri Mposhi to reduce from current 7-10 days to under 5 days

This leap will be driven by upgraded track infrastructure, new rollingstock, renovated workshops and quarries, and improved operational efficiency – positioning TAZARA as a competitive, reliable backbone for corridor and regional trade.

Beyond the Rail: Unlocking Corridor Economies

TAZARA is calling for concerted investments along the corridor to maximise the railway’s impact. Priority areas include:

Manufacturing zones near key stations

Agro-processing facilities to support agricultural exports

Inland Container Depots (ICDs) along the route from Dar es Salaam to New Kapiri Mposhi

Transportation of minerals 

These investments will reduce logistics costs, create jobs, and transform the railway corridor into a thriving competitive economic belt.

New Northern Corridor Route: Dar es Salaam – Luapula – DRC

Investors must also take note of the new route along the northern corridor connecting Dar es Salaam to Zambia’s Luapula Province and onward to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where Construction works of the Kasomeno-Mwenda Toll Road from Kashiba to Mwenda in Luapula Province are recording steady progress to shorten the route into DRC.

This alignment will require additional investments in the Nakonde – Kasama – Luapula segment, unlocking access to one of Africa’s fastest-growing mineral and agricultural regions.

A Call to Action for Logistics Companies

TAZARA’s CEO will issue a direct appeal to logistics operators, investors and financial institutions at the forums:

“The investment opportunities opening up along the TAZARA corridor are unprecedented. We call on logistics companies and financiers to take serious interest and rise to the challenge. The railway is being rebuilt with enhanced capacity. Now is the time to step forward and shape the future of regional trade.”

About TAZARA

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) is a bi-national railway established by the governments of Tanzania and Zambia and constructed with support from the People’s Republic of China from 1970 to 1976. Operating the “Uhuru Railway,” TAZARA provides freight and passenger services linking the Port of Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi, with onward connections to the COMESA and SADC economic hubs. This year, TAZARA marks its 50th Anniversary in operations and has embarked on a transformation journey through a PPP-based revitalisation model following the signing of a concession agreement with CCECC on 29 September 2025.

Media Contact

TAZARA Public Relations 
Email: hpr@tazarasite.com
WhatsApp: +255 767803074 / +260 966803074