Tanzania and Burundi to build first railway link
Tanzania and Burundi have signed a deal to build a railway connecting the two countries.
This will be the first major railway in Burundi, which does not have a coastline. The project will cost $2.15 billion and will be funded through a loan from the African Development Bank.
The Railway Gazette International reports that the project will start in Uvinza, Tanzania, and end in Musongati, Burundi. It will be built in two parts. The first section, in Tanzania, will run for about 120 km from Uvinza to the border at the Malagarasi River with a new bridge built to connect both sides. The second section, in Burundi, will extend north to Musongati.
China Railway Engineering Group and China Railway Engineering Design & Consulting Group will be responsible for building the railway.
Tanzania’s Finance Minister, Mwigulu Nchemba, said the project is important because it is the first time the African Development Bank is helping to fund Tanzania’s railway system.
Once completed, the railway will make it easier for Burundi to export its minerals, including nickel, platinum, gold, and copper, to the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
The railway is expected to carry up to three million tonnes of goods every year.
Tanzania and Burundi agreed to build the railway in 2022 and the same year, signed a $2.2 billion contract with Chinese companies to build another railway line, which will link to this new project.
