Rail transport in Zambia explained

Rail transport in Zambia is primarily provided by two systems:

• TAZARA Railway
• Zambia Railways Limited (sub-systems: Cape to Cairo Railway and Sena railway)

Zambia Railways operates a number of rail lines, including the Mulobezi Railway; as of early 2012, it was still in operation, but in poor repair.

Railway links with adjacent countries

• Democratic Republic of the Congo - Ndola to Sakania then Lubumbashi -, freight only. (For extensions and reconstruction beyond Lubumbashi see the DR Congo article). The current operating status of Chililabombwe-DR Congo link not known.
• Tanzania - from Kapiri Mposhi, border crossing at Nakonde, Zambia, to Dar es Salaam, TAZARA railway, passenger and freight -
• Malawi - Chipata-Mchinji 2010 opening^[1]
• Mozambique - no direct link, but indirectly to Nacala, Beira (via Malawi) and Maputo (via Zimbabwe, no continuous passenger services).
• Zimbabwe - from Livingstone via the Victoria Falls Bridge to Bulawayo, freight only.
• Botswana - no direct link, indirectly via Zimbabwe (no continuous passenger services). A direct link is under construction and expected to be open in 2019.^[2]
• Namibia - no direct link.
• Angola - no direct link - but indirectly via DR Congo to Benguela on the Benguela Railway - same gauge . In October 2023, Zambia signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Angola, DR Congo, the United States and the European Union for the construction of a new railway line connecting northwestern Zambia to the Lobito Atlantic Railway in Angola. The project, named Zambia-Lobito railway, is supported by the African Development Bank and the Africa Finance Corporation.^[3]

See also

• East African Railway Master Plan
• Economy of Zambia
• Railway
• Lobito–Dar es Salaam Railway

References

Further reading

Notes and References

1. Web site: Railway Gazette: News in Brief. 2010-09-26.
2. News: Zambia: Govt Committed to Completion of Kazungula Bridge Project. Moyo. Thandiwe. 3 December 2017. The Times of Zambia. 30 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20171203111546/http://allafrica.com/stories/201712030040.html. 3 December 2017. live. Ndola. AllAfrica.com.
3. Web site: Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Development of the Lobito Corridor and the Zambia-Lobito Rail Line . 2023-10-27 . United States Department of State . en.