On January 29, 2025, Tanzania and Burundi signed an agreement to construct a 282-kilometer Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) linking Uvinza in Tanzania to Musongati in Burundi.
The $2.15 billion project, awarded to China Railway Engineering Group Co. Ltd (CREGC) and China Railway Engineering Design and Consulting Group Co. Ltd (CREDC), is set for completion within 72 months.
The signing ceremony took place at the John Pombe Magufuli SGR station in Dar es Salaam, with the Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) and Burundi’s Ministry of Infrastructure formalizing the deal.
The railway will feature 240 kilometers of mainline track and 42 kilometers of passing loops, along with a one-kilometer bridge connecting Tanzania and Burundi, designed for both rail and road transport.
The project also includes seven passenger stations and a freight terminal in Musongati. Construction will be executed in two phases: Uvinza to Malagarasi (180 km) and Malagarasi to Musongati (102 km).
Tanzania’s Minister of Transport, Prof. Makame Mbarawa, emphasized that the railway aligns with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which aims to enhance intra-African connectivity.
He highlighted the railway’s potential to boost trade, facilitate mineral exports, and ease passenger movement across borders.
He also noted that ongoing SGR projects in Tanzania have created over 30,000 jobs and generated more than TZS 350 billion in income, with local contractors securing subcontracts worth approximately TZS 3.7 trillion.
TRC Director General Masanja Kungu Kadogosa stated that this project marks the continuation of Tanzania’s second phase of SGR expansion, following the December 2022 signing of the Tabora-Kigoma section.
The Tanzania-Burundi SGR is part of Tanzania’s broader efforts to modernize its railway infrastructure, replacing the outdated meter-gauge system.
The expanded network will connect Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean to Mwanza on Lake Victoria, extending to Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The entire 2,000-kilometer SGR network is being developed in six phases, with the first section, Dar es Salaam to Morogoro (300 km), inaugurated in August 2024.
