TAZARA railway to transport more cargo, passengers in new financial year

Published: July 30,2024

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) board of directors has approved targets of transporting 350,000 tonnes of cargo and ferrying 3,430,000 passengers for the 2024/2025 financial year.

The approval was made by the TAZARA board of directors at its 122nd meeting, according to a statement issued Saturday by TAZARA headquarters in Tanzania’s port city of Dar es Salaam. The statement said the board projected 55.19 million U.S. dollars in total income for the 2024/2025 financial year which started on July 1, 2024, and will end on June 30, 2025. 

The revenue was anticipated from various sources, including freight, parcels, passenger traffic, open access fees, and other non-operational activities. The board was also briefed on the ongoing efforts to revitalize TAZARA with the involvement of investors from China. The board noted the importance of expediting the process to conclude negotiations and have a memorandum of understanding signed by September 2024. 

TAZARA operates the 1,860-km single-track railway, known as the “Uhuru Railway” or “Independent Railway,” which was constructed as a turnkey project between 1970 and 1975 through an interest-free loan from China, with commercial operations starting in July 1976. The railway links Dar es Salaam in Tanzania with New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia. 

Xinhua