Tanzania and Burundi have officially commenced the construction of a $2.15bn cross-border standard gauge railway that will connect Uvinza in western Tanzania to Musongati in eastern Burundi. The line will be used for passenger services and frieght transport.

Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa laid the foundation stone for the 240km railway, which is set to be the first of its kind in the region and marks a step towards enhancing East African trade and connectivity.

The project will feature a fully electrified 1,435mm international standard gauge line and is expected to be completed by 2030.

Majaliwa said: “Once completed, passengers will be able to travel from Musongati to Dar es Salaam in a single day. Currently, cargo trucks take up to 96 hours to reach Bujumbura from Dar es Salaam. With the railway, that journey will be reduced to just 20 hours.”

The railway promises to not only ease transport but also to open new investment opportunities and strengthen economic ties between the two nations.

Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye said: “Many asked how we would transport the minerals. This railway is the answer.”

Ndayishimiye highlighted future plans to extend the railway to Kindu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and ultimately to the Atlantic coast of West Africa, envisioning the development of a pan-African corridor.

A consortium led by China Railway Engineering Design and Consulting Group, a subsidiary of CREC, signed the contract with Tanzania Railways Corporation for the project in January.

The agreement encompasses sections 7 and 8 of the SGR. Section 7 pertains to the 156km segment connecting Uvinza with Malagarasi within Tanzania, and section 8 involves the 84km link from Malagarasi to Musongati in Burundi.