Eastern Africa
Southern Africa
Tanzania
Zambia
Transport / Infrastructure
Tanzania-Zambia (Tazara) Railway Upgrade
Background
- TAZARA is a single-track, Cape-gauge (1,067 mm) railway constructed in the 1970s; it climbs from sea level at Dar es Salaam to high points around Mbeya and then descends into Zambia, finishing at New Kapiri Mposhi where it links with Zambia Railways.
- New Kapiri Mposhi (Kapiri Mposhi) is the principal Zambian junction referenced as the western terminus of TAZARA (it provides onward connections to the Copperbelt and Lusaka).
- The line crosses or skirts several notable geographic features in Tanzania: Selous Game Reserve, Kilombero Valley, the Udzungwa and Kipengere mountain ranges; these cause significant gradients and required major civil works (tunnels and bridges) when the railway was built.
