Keypoints
- First cross-border electrified SGR in East Africa
- $2.15 bn project to cut Dar–Bujumbura trip from 96h to 20h
- Future expansion planned to DRC and Atlantic coast
TANZANIA and Burundi have broken ground on a landmark 240-kilometre standard gauge railway (SGR) linking Uvinza in western Tanzania with Musongati in eastern Burundi. The line, laid out by Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, becomes the first cross-border electrified railway in East Africa.
A $2.15 bn regional lifeline
The project is valued at $2.15 bn and expected to take five years to complete, according to the Prime Minister’s office. Majaliwa said construction will begin as planned, emphasising the railway’s role in strengthening trade and integration.
‘Once completed, passengers will be able to travel from Musongati to Dar es Salaam in a single day,’ Majaliwa noted. ‘Today, trucks need 96 hours to reach Bujumbura from Dar es Salaam. With this line, that journey falls to just 20 hours’ (english.news.cn).
He added that the line will unlock investment opportunities and transform economic ties between the two nations.
Burundi’s minerals on track for export
Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye hailed the launch as a dream finally realised. Highlighting Burundi’s mineral wealth—particularly nickel—he said investors had long questioned transport options. ‘This railway is the answer,’ he declared, thanking Tanzania for its partnership.
Looking to the future, Ndayishimiye outlined ambitions to extend the line to Kindu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and eventually to West Africa’s Atlantic coast, creating a continental trade corridor.
China-backed line to transform trade routes
The project is being built by a consortium led by China Railway Group Limited. Company representative Lin Xiaotong confirmed that the line will be fully electrified and built to the 1,435 mm international standard gauge, with completion expected around 2030.
The railway comprises two key sections: a 156 km stretch from Uvinza to Malagarasi in Tanzania and an 84 km link from Malagarasi to Musongati in Burundi (railjournal.com). Once operational, it is expected to cut transport costs dramatically, enabling Burundi to ship minerals directly from its inland mines to Dar es Salaam’s port.
The initiative underscores East Africa’s wider push for modern infrastructure. By reducing travel time, boosting mineral exports and connecting landlocked nations to global markets, the Uvinza–Musongati line is positioned to reshape the region’s economic geography.
