The governments of Tanzania and Burundi have signed a $2.15 billion agreement with two Chinese construction and engineering firms to build a 282-kilometer standard-gauge railway connecting the two countries.
The contract was awarded to China Railway Engineering Group and China Railway Engineering Design and Consulting. The railway will run from the Tanzanian town of Uvinza to Musongati in central Burundi, an area rich in nickel deposits as well as gold, platinum, palladium, copper, and iron reserves.
This railway is part of a larger 651-kilometer infrastructure project from Tabora to Musongati, funded by the African Development Bank. Its primary goal is to transport up to 3 million tons of minerals annually.
Beyond new railway construction, Tanzania has been actively investing in rolling stock. In 2020, Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) signed a contract with South Korean company Sing Sung Rolling Stock Technology (SSRST) to supply 59 passenger coaches. In 2021, Hyundai Rotem secured a deal to produce and deliver 17 electric locomotives and 10 electric trains, totaling $295.74 million. In December 2023, TRC received 264 freight wagons from Chinese manufacturer CRRC International, as part of a 2022 contract to purchase 1,430 wagons for $127 million.