Published on : 05/09/2024
On September 5, 1967, representatives from the governments of China, Tanzania, and Zambia held discussions in Beijing and subsequently signed the official agreement for China's aid in constructing the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (坦贊鐵路).
Also known as the "Railway of Freedom", the Tanzania-Zambia Railway stands as one of the largest projects that China has aided with overseas.
It was built by China Railway Construction Group Corporation and China Railway Group Limited with a total length of 1860.5 kilometres. The railway starts from Tanzania's capital, Dar es Salaam, and ends in Kapiri Mposhi of Zambia.
The construction data of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway is quite astonishing. The entire route witnessed the construction of 320 bridges totalling a length of 16,520 metres, 22 tunnels collectively stretching up to 8,898 metres, and 93 stations.
From exploration to completion, the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway took a long 8 years. However, after the inauguration of the full line, the railway has made significant contributions to the socio-economic development of Tanzania and Zambia, as well as the national liberation in southern Africa.
To help build the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, the Chinese government provided an interest-free loan of 988 million CNY and shipped nearly 1 million tonnes of various types of equipment and materials.
China also dispatched close to 50,000 engineering technicians, with a peak of 16,000 Chinese employees on-site during the construction phase.
After the completion of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, it was jointly managed by the railway authorities composed of both Tanzanian and Zambian sides.
To ensure the normal operation of the railway, China continued to provide interest-free loans and technical cooperation assistance, with Chinese specialists and technicians involved in management or providing consultation.
