By Black Star News
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
Tanzania and Burundi officially announced the start of the construction of a cross-border railway that will connect western Tanzania to eastern Burundi. The rail line is slated to be completed in 2030, and will link Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway to Tanzania’s system.
Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa spoke about the project saying, “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.”
In January, Tanzania Railways Corporation signed a contract with China Railway Engineering Design and the Consulting Group, one of its subsidiaries on the project. The project will link landlocked regional areas the Dar es Salaam port.
The railway is also expected to facilitated regional trade. Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye said: “Many asked how we would transport the minerals. This railway is the answer.” Burundi is known to hold reserves of gold, tantalum, tin, and rare earths.
The $2.15 billion 175-mile electrified rail will be a primary part of the “Central Corridor” project, that has been in the works for decades. The Central Corridor Project’s aim is to connect landlocked neighboring countries like: Burundi, Democratic Republic of The Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia.
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