Tanzania, Burundi Launch $2.15B Uvinza–Musongati SGR to Boost Trade and Regional Integration
Tanzania and Burundi have officially launched construction of a state-of-the-art standard gauge railway (SGR) linking Uvinza in western Tanzania to Musongati in eastern Burundi.
The 240-kilometre cross-border line, valued at over $2.15 billion, is the first of its kind in East Africa.
The project was inaugurated with a foundation stone-laying ceremony led by Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa.
According to the Prime Minister’s Directorate of Communications, the railway is expected to take five years to complete, with full operations set for 2030.
Speaking at the ceremony, Majaliwa said the SGR would be transformational for both countries. The line will connect Musongati to Dar es Salaam, dramatically cutting travel times and reducing the cost of trade.
“Once finished, it will be possible to travel from Musongati to Dar es Salaam in a single day. Today, cargo trucks take 96 hours to move from Dar es Salaam to Bujumbura, but with the railway, this will be reduced to just 20 hours,” Majaliwa said.
The SGR is designed for both passenger and freight services. It will provide a faster, safer, and more cost-effective alternative to long-haul trucking, ease congestion on regional highways, and lower logistics costs for businesses.
Majaliwa emphasized that the project will spur investment, strengthen regional trade, and deepen economic ties between Tanzania and Burundi.
Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye hailed the railway as the realization of a long-term vision.
He noted that Burundi’s rich mineral deposits, particularly nickel, require efficient transport capacity to fully unlock their value.
“The people asked themselves how we would export the minerals. The train is the solution,” he said.
Ndayishimiye also revealed that the railway would eventually be extended beyond Burundi into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), reaching Kindu and eventually the Atlantic coast.
He described this as part of a broader plan to create a pan-African transport corridor that drives economic integration across the continent.
The project is being spearheaded by China Railway Group Limited, which will oversee design and construction.
The line will be built with a 1,435-millimeter track gauge and will be fully electrified, ensuring efficiency, reliability, and long-term sustainability.
A representative from the company emphasized that the SGR would become a vital development corridor, enhancing investment, trade, and connectivity while accelerating East Africa’s path to economic integration.
The Uvinza–Musongati SGR is more than just a transport project—it represents a deepening partnership between Tanzania and Burundi and a broader push for connectivity across East Africa.
By reducing travel times, improving market access, and enabling mineral exports, the railway is poised to reshape the economic future of both nations and make a lasting contribution to regional development.
