Tanzania, Burundi Break Ground on $2.15 Billion Cross-Border Railway

Tanzania and Burundi have launched construction of a 282-kilometer standard gauge railway linking Uvinza in western Tanzania to Musongati in southeastern Burundi, a $2.154 billion project billed as one of East Africa’s most ambitious transport corridors.

The groundbreaking in Musongati was led by Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye alongside Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa. The line will connect landlocked Burundi to Tanzania’s wider SGR network and ports, cutting transport times and costs for freight and passengers.

For Burundi, the route is strategic. Musongati sits near major nickel deposits and other minerals. Officials say a reliable rail outlet will ease bulk exports, attract investment, and support the government’s Vision 2040–2060 agenda. “This path will be a major lever for our national vision,” President Ndayishimiye said, thanking President Samia Suluhu Hassan and project partners for their commitment.

Tanzania casts the line as a trade multiplier that strengthens its role as a regional gateway. Prime Minister Majaliwa told the ceremony the binational link would be completed on schedule and would mark the first direct rail connection between the neighbors inside the East African Community.

The project is framed as a building block for the African Continental Free Trade Area. By shifting heavy cargo from roads to rail, both countries expect lower logistics costs, reduced border bottlenecks, and deeper people-to-people ties across the frontier.

Key details on financing tranches, contractors, and delivery phasing were not disclosed at the launch. Officials acknowledged that funding, construction discipline, and long-term maintenance will determine whether projected benefits are realized.

The Uvinza–Musongati line forms part of Tanzania’s broader SGR buildout from the central corridor toward the coast, where integration with port facilities is expected to provide export access for Burundian commodities and import access for essential goods.

Both governments presented the start of works as a signal of political will to push major infrastructure despite fiscal and operational headwinds. If completed as planned, the line would mark a step change in how Burundi and western Tanzania move freight, with regional spillovers for trade through the heart of East Africa.

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Ollus Ndhomu

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