Over the next three years, the logistics industry stakeholders will train their attention on the revival of the Tanzania–Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) after Tanzania, Zambia and China signed a $1.4 billion agreement late last year.

The deal, signed in Beijing after two years of talks, gives China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) a 30-year concession to rebuild and run the 1,860-kilometre railway linking Zambia’s Copperbelt to the Port of Dar es Salaam. The first three years will centre on heavy construction and renewal, backed by an initial $1.1 billion investment.

Work will focus on restoring the railway’s core infrastructure. This includes repairing tracks, strengthening or replacing old bridges, and upgrading tunnels that currently slow trains. Workshops and depots will be modernised to support regular maintenance, while stations will be refurbished to improve safety and efficiency.

Replacing rolling stock is also a key priority. The project includes buying 34 new locomotives, 16 passenger coaches and 760 freight wagons to reverse years of underinvestment. The new fleet is expected to raise capacity and reduce delays for mineral exports, fuel imports and general cargo.

By the end of the three-year construction phase, freight volumes are expected to rise to about 2.4 million tonnes a year, from around 100,000 tonnes today. For Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer, this means cheaper and more reliable access to global markets. For Tanzania, it strengthens Dar es Salaam’s position as a major Indian Ocean logistics hub.

The project also has strategic importance. It comes as Western-backed partners push the Lobito Corridor, which links Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to Angola’s Atlantic ports. Once TAZARA is upgraded, copper exporters will have real choices between Atlantic and Indian Ocean routes, increasing competition between regional corridors.

Beyond the railway itself, the construction phase is expected to spur industrial growth along the line. China, Tanzania and Zambia plan to develop industrial parks and logistics zones around key stations to support local processing and value addition.

When the railway enters its 27-year operational phase, the impact of these first three years is likely to shape regional trade for decades to come.