DAR ES SALAAM, February 6th (AMSP/CGTN) – – Tanzania and Burundi have agreed to collaborate on building a 282-kilometer railway connecting the two nations.
This railway line, which will link Uvinza in Tanzania to Musongati in Burundi, aims to enhance trade between the two countries. The project is expected to take six years to complete.
Tanzania’s transport project, the Standard Gauge Railway, is set to extend into Burundi. The hope is that the railway line will support economic ties between both countries. The railway, funded by the African Development Bank, is designed to carry agricultural goods and general cargo, as well as passengers.
Minister of Finance and Planning, Mwigulu Nchemba, stated that the funding from the African Development Bank is a positive development for the project’s completion. “I would like to let you know and guarantee that the funds to complete this project are secured,” he said.
More broadly, this railway system is part of Tanzania’s ambitious Standard Gauge Railway initiative, one of Tanzania’s largest developmental projects, and is valued at $2.15 billion. The contract has been awarded to the China Railway Engineering Group and the China Railway Engineering Design and Consulting Group to improve transportation infrastructure in the country.
This link is in line with the African Union’s agenda to have all African countries connected by modern railways by 2026, Tanzania feeding 8 landlocked countries by rail is playing a significant role in realizing this objective for the eastern Africa region.
The project will also include a one-kilometer-long bridge to accommodate both rail and road transportation between Tanzania and Burundi. Burundi’s government says this collaboration will serve as a model for other African nations.
“Burundi and Tanzania have shared a deep friendship. And this project will be a massive platform to grow the economies of our two countries,” said Dieudonné Dukundane, Burundian Minister of Infrastructure, Equipment and Social Housing.
The Chinese companies involved in this project have a long history in Tanzania, having undertaken projects in the region for over five decades.
As the construction phase approaches, both nations are keen to see this project come to fruition, believing it will mark a new chapter in their economic partnership. This railway link is not just a connection between two countries, but a step towards a more integrated and prosperous East Africa.
amsp/cgtn-abp
CGTN