About TAZARA

The Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority, popularly known as TAZARA, is a bi-national railway linking the Southern Africa Regional transport network to Eastern Africa's seaport of Dar es Salaam, offering both freight and passenger transportation services between and within Tanzania and Zambia.

Vision

TAZARA's vision it to be the most preferred transport organization in the sub-region.

Mission

TAZARA's mission is satisfy customer needs through the provision of an efficient and quality transport service.

History

The idea to connect Central and Southern African States with the eastern coast through a rail link started as far back as 1947. Both Tanganyika (now Tanzania) and Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) had for a long time wished to agriculturally develop their vast areas in the South West (of Tanganyika) and North East (of Northern Rhodesia), respectively.

The leaders of Tanzania (the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere) and Zambia (Dr. Kenneth Kaunda) who were aware of Zambia’s dependence on the southern route and its implications visualized that the North East Rail Link was the only other way for Zambia to maintain economic and political independence. 

On 5th September 1967, an Agreement for the construction of TAZARA was concluded in Beijing, China, between the three Governments of China, Tanzania and Zambia.

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority was established in March 1968 and the survey and design work commenced in October 1968 and finished in May 1970.