China, Tanzania, Zambia sign agreement to improve TAZARA railway

China, Tanzania, and Zambia have signed a preliminary agreement to rehabilitate the decades-old Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) railway, aiming to enhance rail-sea transportation links in East and Southern Africa, according to Chinese state media reports on Wednesday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping oversaw the signing of the memorandum of understanding, which took place in Beijing.

Tanzanian and Zambian ministers signed the agreement during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in the presence of three leaders.

The refurbishment plans focus on the 1,860-kilometre (1,156-mile) single-track TAZARA railway, which was originally constructed between 1970 and 1975 with an interest-free loan from China.

The railway provides a key cargo route from Zambia's copper and cobalt mines to Tanzania's coast, bypassing South Africa and what was then Rhodesia.

TAZARA railway, often dubbed the "bamboo railway" by Western critics at the time, began its commercial operations in 1976.

Its construction was a massive endeavour involving the building of over two dozen tunnels and hundreds of bridges by tens of thousands of Chinese and African workers.

"China is willing to use this summit as an opportunity to achieve new progress in revitalising the Tanzania-Zambia railway," President Xi stated, according to Chinese state media.

He emphasised China's commitment to improving the rail-sea intermodal transport network in East Africa and establishing Tanzania as a model zone for high-quality China-Africa cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Earlier this year, the World Bank approved $270 million in financing to help improve transportation connectivity between Tanzania and Zambia, a move expected to boost regional trade.

Meanwhile, in February, China proposed investing $1 billion to rehabilitate the TAZARA rail line under a public-private partnership model.