Tanzania and Burundi Launch $2.15 Billion Cross-Border Railway Project

Tanzania, Africa – Tanzania and Burundi have officially started building a new $2.15 billion railway that will connect Uvinza in western Tanzania to Musongati in eastern Burundi. Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa laid the foundation stone for the 240 km railway on August 20, 2025, aiming to enhance trade and transport links between the two countries.

This railway, the first cross-border standard gauge railway in East Africa, is designed to facilitate both passenger services and freight transport. The project is expected to be completed by 2030, with the construction being led by a consortium that includes the China Railway Engineering Design and Consulting Group and Tanzania Railways Corporation.

Majaliwa expressed optimism about the railway’s potential to strengthen regional connectivity, stating, “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.”

Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye emphasized the project’s significance, particularly for mineral transport, saying, “Many asked how we would transport the minerals. This railway is the answer.” He also mentioned plans to extend the railway to Kindu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and ultimately to the Atlantic coast of West Africa.

The railway will feature a fully electrified 1,435 mm international standard gauge line, which is expected to open new investment opportunities in the region. Lin Xiaotong, a representative from the China Railway Group Limited, described the railway as a vital corridor for economic development and integration in East Africa.