On January 29, 2025, Tanzania and Burundi signed an agreement to construct a 282-kilometer Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) linking Uvinza in Tanzania to Musongati in Burundi.
The project, valued at US$2.15 billion, will be developed by Chinese firms China Railway Engineering Group Co. Ltd (CREGC) and China Railway Engineering Design and Consulting Group Co. Ltd (CREDC) and is expected to be completed within 72 months.
The agreement was signed at the SGR John Pombe Magufuli station in Dar es Salaam between the Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) and the Government of Burundi, represented by its Ministry of Infrastructure.
The railway will consist of 240 kilometers of mainline track and 42 kilometers of passing loops.
The project also includes the construction of a one-kilometer bridge connecting Tanzania and Burundi, designed to accommodate both rail and road traffic.
Additionally, seven passenger stations and one freight terminal will be established in Musongati.
The railway will be built in two phases: Uvinza to Malagarasi (180 km), and Malagarasi to Musongati (102 km).
According to Tanzania’s Minister of Transport, Prof. Makame Mbarawa, the project aligns with the African Union Agenda 2063, which aims to connect African nations through modern railway infrastructure.
Prof. Mbarawa emphasized that the railway will boost trade and economic integration between Tanzania and Burundi, facilitating the movement of goods, minerals, and passengers across borders.
He also stated that ongoing SGR projects in Tanzania have already provided over 30,000 jobs and generated over TZS 350 billion in income.
Additionally, local contractors have been awarded subcontracts worth approximately TZS 3.7 trillion.
For his part, TRC Director General Masanja Kungu Kadogosa explained that the signing of this contract marks the continuation of Tanzania’s second phase of SGR development, following the December 2022 signing of the Tabora-Kigoma section.
Tanzania SGR Project
The Tanzania-Burundi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project is part of Tanzania’s broader efforts to expand its railway network and improve regional connectivity.
The government of Tanzania is currently expanding the country’s rail network with the construction of an SGR to replace the old, inefficient meter-gauge railway system.
The SGR will link Tanzania, from the port of Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean to the port of Mwanza on the shore of Lake Victoria in northern Tanzania, and from there to neighboring countries of Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The SGR consists of a network of about 2,000 km developed in six phases.
The Phase 1 railway connecting Dar es Salaam to Morogoro (300 km) was inaugurated in August 2024.
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