Tanzania and Zambia yesterday resolved to revamp the railway line that connects the two countries as part of their measures to improve bilateral ties.
The bi-national railway linking the Southern Africa Regional transport network to Eastern Africa’s seaport of Dar es Salaam – will now be upgraded to a standard gauge railway (SGR) through partnership with the private sector and development partners, leaders of the two countries said.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan who was speaking during state visit of her Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema, said the old line does not deliver what was expected, calling for upgrade to open up new business opportunities along the routes that connect the two countries.
“In today’s world, railway is SGR. So through Public-Private Partnership (PPP), we have agreed to come up with a project to improve the Tazara railway into that level,” she said during press briefing at State House.
Tanzania is also constructing 1,219 kilometres of SGR from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza.
The two heads of state also discussed issues around the modernisation of the 1,710km crude oil pipeline (Tazama) that links the two countries as well as how to eradicate some tax and non-tax barriers to unlock trade.
