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Overview

Chinese Government provides $23.5 million grant to Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Linked to Record ID#59574)

Commitments (Constant USD, 2023)$25,469,719
Commitment Year•2012Country of Activity•Africa, regionalDirect Recipient Country of Incorporation•Africa, regionalSector•Transport And StorageFlow Type•Grant

Status

Project lifecycle

Completion

Pipeline: PledgePipeline: CommitmentImplementationCompletion

Timeline

Key dates

Commitment date
Jan 1, 2012
Start (actual)
Nov 10, 2015
End (actual)
Nov 10, 2015

Geospatial footprint

Map overview

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This project supported the Tanzania–Zambia Railway (TAZARA), which is an 1860 km railway that stretches from Dar‑es‑Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi. The railway crosses Tanzania in a southwest direction, leaving the coastal strip and then entering largely uninhabited areas of the vast Selous Game Reserve. The line crosses the TAN-ZAM highway at Makambako and runs parallel to the highway toward Mbeya and the Zambian border, before entering Zambia, and linking with Zambia Railways at Kapiri Mposhi. From sea level, the railway climbs to 550 meters (1,800 feet) at Mlimba, and then reaches its highest point of 1,789.43 meters at Uyole in Mbeya before descending to 1,660 meters at Mwenzo, the highest point in Zambia, and settling to 1,274.63 meters at Kapiri Mposhi. More detailed locational information can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TAZARA_Railway#/media/File:Railways_in_Tanzania.svg and https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/14060545#map=7/-10.388/33.970

Stakeholders

Organizations involved in projects and activities supported by financial and in-kind transfers from Chinese government and state-owned entities

Funding agencies

Government Agencies

  • China Ministry of Commerce

Receiving agencies

Intergovernmental Organizations

  • Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA)

Implementing agencies

Intergovernmental Organizations

  • Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA)

State-owned companies

  • China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC)

Loan desecription

Chinese Government provides $23.5 million grant to Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Linked to Record ID#59574)

Narrative

Full Description

Project narrative

In March 2012, China committed $66.2 million USD in aid under the 15th Protocol of Economic and Technical Cooperation to help pay for the rehabilitation of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) rail lines. The agreement provided a grant of $23.5 million (K123 billion) for the rehabilitation of the railway line and infrastructure. On May 15, 2014, a contract for the supply 18 passenger coaches and 4 locomotives was signed in Dar es Salaam between the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) and the Chinese Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC). By November 10, 2015 TAZARA received four new diesel-electric mainline locomotives and 18 new passenger coaches valued at US$22.4 million from the Chinese government. China also provided a $42.6 million (K223 billion or 270 million RMB) interest-free loan to revive the operations (ID #59574). The agreements were officially signed at a tripartite meeting in March between the Governments of Tanzania, Zambia, and China. They also commissioned a one-year feasibility study beginning in June to determine the types of rehabilitation needed at the meeting.