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Tanzania and Angola agree to link Atlantic and Indian Ocean rail corridors

Tanzania and Angola agree to link Atlantic and Indian Ocean rail corridors

Built World

The plan would join the Western-backed Lobito Corridor to China-backed TAZARA through Zambia and DR Congo. The Atlantic half has contractors and freight commitments; the connector has no route, cost or date.

5 days ago: AFC reports freight commitments for the Zambia-Lobito line

Overview

Updated 3 days ago

Tanzania and Angola's October 30 plan to link the Benguela Railway to the Tanzania-Zambia Railway still has no route, cost estimate or named financier. The Atlantic half of the route moved ahead without it.

The Africa Finance Corporation, lead developer of the 830-kilometre Zambia-Lobito line, says letters of intent cover about 2 million tonnes of freight a year and that it is targeting financial close in 2027. Engineering News-Record puts construction at $3 billion to $5 billion. AFC is now asking Zambia and Angola for viability gap funding after expected commitments from international partners did not materialise.

Why it matters

If built, the link gives Zambia and Congo export routes to two oceans, weakening the leverage either China or the West holds over their minerals.

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Key Indicators

4
Countries on the proposed route
Angola, DR Congo, Zambia and Tanzania would sit on a single coast-to-coast line.
1,860 km
Length of the TAZARA railway
Runs from Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia.
$1.4B
China's TAZARA modernisation deal
Signed with Tanzania and Zambia to refurbish the line China financed in the 1970s.
830 km
Greenfield Zambia-Lobito line
Runs from Chingola in the Copperbelt to the Angolan border, then on to the Benguela railway. Construction is put at $3 billion to $5 billion.
$1.08B
Financing identified for Zambia-Lobito
Italy $320 million, the African Development Bank $255 million, AFC $500 million and a $1.1 million EU grant, per Engineering News-Record.
2M tonnes
Freight committed a year
MOUs and letters of intent with prospective railway users, against a steady-state target of about 5 million tonnes.
0
Construction contracts signed for the connector
The October 30 agreement is a statement of intent, not a construction deal.

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People Involved

Samia Suluhu Hassan
Samia Suluhu Hassan
President of Tanzania
Announced the rail agreement on October 30, 2026
 João Lourenço
João Lourenço
President of Angola
Visited Tanzania October 28 to 30, 2026
 Hakainde Hichilema
Hakainde Hichilema
President of Zambia
Discussed right of way and land for freight facilities with AFC leaders in early November 2026

Organizations Involved

Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority
Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority
Binational railway operator
Rehabilitating its line while a connector to Angola is proposed

The authority runs the 1,860-kilometre railway from Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia.
Africa Finance Corporation (AFC)
Africa Finance Corporation (AFC)
Multilateral development finance institution
Lead developer of the Zambia-Lobito railway; named preferred bidders in October 2026 and is seeking viability gap funding from Zambia and Angola

The Lagos-based lender is the lead sponsor and developer of the Zambia-Lobito railway on the Atlantic side.
Webuild (formerly Salini Impregilo)
Webuild (formerly Salini Impregilo)
Construction Company
Preferred bidder for the 550-kilometre Zambian section of the Zambia-Lobito railway, with contract talks under way

The Italian contractor is part of a consortium named preferred bidder for the Zambian section of the Zambia-Lobito railway.

Timeline

1970s November 2026

10 events Latest: 5 days ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. AFC reports freight commitments for the Zambia-Lobito line

    Latest Infrastructure

    AFC said MOUs and letters of intent with prospective users cover about 2 million tonnes of freight a year, with a steady-state target of about 5 million tonnes and financial close sought in 2027.

  2. Angola's president meets AFC chief on the Angola-Zambia line

    Infrastructure

    João Lourenço received Samaila Zubairu in Luanda to discuss contractor selection for the new Angola-Zambia railway and the wider Lobito Corridor.

  3. Zambia's president briefed on Lobito railway contractor search

    Infrastructure

    Hakainde Hichilema met an Africa Finance Corporation delegation led by chief executive Samaila Zubairu for an update on the Zambia-Lobito railway, including progress in choosing an EPC contractor.

  4. AFC seeks state funding to close the Lobito financing gap

    Finance

    AFC president Samaila Zubairu said the corporation was pursuing initial viability gap funding from Zambia and Angola after expected commitments from international partners did not materialise, according to Zambia Monitor.

  5. Tanzania and Angola agree to connect the corridors

    Agreement

    Hassan announces a plan to join the Benguela Railway to TAZARA, with no cost or timeline.

  6. Four bilateral agreements signed

    Diplomacy

    Tanzania and Angola also agree on air services, petroleum cooperation and port links.

  7. Lourenço begins state visit to Tanzania

    Diplomacy

    Angola's president arrives for three days of talks with President Hassan.

  8. AFC names preferred bidders for Zambia-Lobito railway

    Infrastructure

    The Africa Finance Corporation selected a Webuild, Mota-Engil and IC İçtaş consortium for the Zambian section and Mota-Engil with Odebrecht for the Angolan section of the 830-kilometre line. Contract talks began in November.

  9. China signs $1.4 billion TAZARA overhaul

    Agreement

    Tanzania and Zambia agree to modernise the line with Chinese financing.

  10. China finances TAZARA

    Infrastructure

    Beijing funds a 1,860-kilometre railway from Dar es Salaam to Zambia's Copperbelt.

Scenarios

1

The rail link stays a declaration

Likely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Ecofin Agency, which noted the proposal remains at the planning stage and that no construction agreement was announced

Both governments are already spending on their own lines: TAZARA's Chinese-funded rehabilitation and Angola's Benguela restoration. A new connecting section would need a route survey, a cost estimate and a financier, and none was named. Trade between the two countries is small, which limits the commercial case for a direct link.

2

Three governments sign a deal for the missing section

Possible Resolves by Q2 2028

Discussed by: Tanzania's presidency, which said an additional section of track is still needed to join the networks

The eastern and western halves are both under rehabilitation. The gap sits between them, and closing it requires Zambia and DR Congo at the table. A trilateral or four-country agreement naming a route and a funding source would move the project from statement to procurement.

3

Lobito reaches the Copperbelt before the connector exists

Possible Resolves by Q2 2029

Discussed by: Semafor and Reuters, which reported contractor selections on the Zambia-Lobito railway in the same week

The Atlantic route is further along in procurement: contractors have been picked, Webuild holds a Zambian section, and the corridor has American and European backing. If that line carries commercial freight before a connector is contracted, Zambia and Congo gain Atlantic access first and the Indian Ocean link loses urgency.

4

AFC signs EPC contracts for the Zambia-Lobito line

Likely Resolves by Feb 28, 2027

Discussed by: Africa Finance Corporation, which said it aims to conclude EPC agreements within 8 to 12 weeks of talks starting in November 2026

AFC named preferred bidders on October 27, 2026, and said contract negotiations would begin in November. Signed EPC agreements would fix the price for the Zambian section and move the Atlantic route toward financial close, targeted for late 2027.

5

Zambia and Angola put up viability gap money

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Africa Finance Corporation president Samaila Zubairu, as reported by Zambia Monitor

AFC has asked the two governments for early gap funding after expected international commitments did not arrive. A commitment from Lusaka and Luanda would let construction start before full debt and equity fundraising, which AFC expects in the second quarter of 2027.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1970s

TAZARA railway (1970s)

China financed a 1,860-kilometre railway from Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi so landlocked Zambia could move copper to the Indian Ocean without routing through southern Africa. Beijing funded the project when Western lenders would not.

Then

Zambian copper and fuel imports moved through Tanzania, and the line became one of the most visible Chinese projects in Africa.

Now

Traffic fell as road haulage expanded and track maintenance lapsed. In 2025, China agreed to put $1.4 billion into modernising the same line.

Why this matters now

The railway that was built as a single-corridor alternative is now proposed as one half of a two-ocean network.

2023

Western backing for the Lobito Corridor (2023)

The United States and European Union backed the Lobito Corridor as a route carrying Congolese and Zambian minerals to Angola's Atlantic port, presented as an alternative to dependence on Chinese-backed transport.

Then

The corridor drew financing from the Africa Finance Corporation and contractors including Webuild and, later, the European Union's infrastructure programme.

Now

Procurement advanced faster than on the eastern side, but the railway still has sections to build before it reaches full capacity.

Why this matters now

Linking Lobito to TAZARA would turn two rival corridors backed by rival powers into one route, removing the need for mineral exporters to pick a camp.

Sources

(18)
+12
Semafor The Citizen Prime Business Africa Ecofin Agency The Guardian (Tanzania) MarketScreener España / Reuters Channel Africa Informat.ro Africa Finance Corporation The Zambian Economist DoingBusiness Zitamar TimesLIVE Africa Finance Corporation Engineering News-Record Top Angola Zambia Monitor BRICS24