What non African country helped build the TAN ZAM Railway?
The project was built from 1970 to 1975 as a turnkey project financed and supported by China. At its completion, the TAZARA was the longest railway in sub-Saharan Africa.
Who built Tanzam Railway?
The railroad was a turnkey project financed and executed by the People’s Republic of China. Total costs were about US $500 million, making it the largest single item foreign-aid project ever undertaken by China.
Is TAZARA a SGR?
Tanzania’s railway lines extend over 3,676km, operated by two railway systems – Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) and Tanzania-Zambia Railways (TAZARA). The scheme features a USD 6.7 billion, 2,561km standard gauge railway (SGR) linking the Dar es Salaam port to Rwanda and Burundi.
When was the Tan Zam railway handed over to Zambia?
On the 14th July 1976 the Chinese officially handed over the TAN-ZAM Railway to the Governments of Tanzania and Zambia. It had taken just five years to build and its commissioning would change the pattern of economic dependencies in the region.
How did China help build railways in Africa?
The most remarkable of the Chinese contribution perhaps has been the construction by professional Chinese companies of numerous railways that now criss-cross the continent. Data from the Chinese government shows that China, through aid and financing support, has helped build or are building more than 6,200 kilometers of railways in Africa.
When did China build the Tanzam Railway in Tanzania?
It was a capital-intensive aid project undertaken by China in East Africa in the 1960s and 70s, and to date remains one of the country’s largest engineering projects completed abroad. Surveying and design kicked off in May 1968, and construction started in October 1970. The rail line was completed and handed over to local authorities in July 1976.
Why was the TAZARA Railway important to Zambia?
The governments of Tanzania, Zambia and China built the railway to eliminate landlocked Zambia ‘s economic dependence on Rhodesia and South Africa, both of which were ruled by white-minority governments. The railway provided the only route for bulk trade from Zambia’s Copperbelt to reach the sea without having to transit white-ruled territories.