TAZARA Railway

The TAZARA Railway (also called the Uhuru Railway, from the Swahili word for "Freedom", and the Tanzam Railway) was built between 1970 and 1975 by the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (abbreviated to 'TAZARA') to serve landlocked Zambia as an alternative to rail lines via Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and South Africa.Thomas W. Robinson and David L. Shambaugh. "Chinese Foreign Policy: theory and practice", 1994. Page 287.]

Construction

The railroad was a turnkey project financed and executed by the People's Republic of China. Construction was started in 1970 and operation commenced six years later. The line starts at the port of Dar-es-Salaam and crosses Tanzania in a south-west direction. It passes through a largely uninhabited area. Since the line opened, there has been industrial development along the line, including a hydroelectric power plant at Kidatu and a paper mill at Rufiji. The line crosses the TAN-ZAM highway at Makambako and runs parallel toward Mbeya and the Zambian border, enters Zambia, and links to Zambia Railways at Kapiri Mposhi. Total length is km to mi|1860 and the final altitude is 1,400 m.

Total costs were about US $500 million, making it the largest foreign-aid project ever undertaken by China.

Running some 1,870km from Dar es Salaam to Zambia's Kapiri Mposhi--the heart of copper belt-- the railway is regarded as the greatest engineering effort of its kind since the Second World War. The railway took only five years to build and was finished ahead of schedule in 1975. Before the railway construction began, 12 Chinese surveyors travelled for nine months on foot from Dar es Salaam to Mbeya in the Southern Highlands to choose and align the railway's path. Thereafter, 25,000 Chinese and about 50,000 Tanzanians were engaged to construct the historical railway.

Braving rain, sun and wind, the workers successfully laid the track through Africa's most rugged landscape. The work involved moving 330,000 tonnes of steel rail and the construction of 300 bridges, 23 tunnels and 147 stations. These impressive figures are silent testimony of the struggle and hardship of the workers, many of who gave their lives.

Route

Beginning in Dar es Salaam, the railway cuts through the coastal strip before passing between Mikumi National Park and the vast Selous Game Reserve.

Travellers get the opportunity to see Selous' abundance of game - giraffe, elephant, zebra, antelope and warthog, which with time are now used to the rumbling noise of the train. After the Selous, the railway cuts through the fertile Kilombero Valley. It skirts the great Kibasira Swamp before tackling the greatest challenging area between Mlimba (the Kingdom of Elephants) and Makambako (the Place of Bulls). This is the place where constructors of the railway met the greatest challenge. With the altitude rising 2,500m through contorted mountains, precipitous valleys and deep swamps, it was necessary to construct 18 tunnels, which cross four major rivers. Because of the heavy rainfall experienced in this area, intricate drainage works had to be integrated with every feature. At one stage the railway runs over an aquatic. But perhaps, the most spectacular feature is the bridge across Mpanga River valley, which stands above the river on three 50m tall pillars.

After climbing the Southern Highlands, the railway levels out onto a rolling plateau. Here the weather becomes noticeably cooler, the air sharper. This is the coffee and tea country of Njombe with large estates punctuated only by groves of bamboo and fields of maize. During the months of June and July, frost, and even an occasional sprinkling of snow, is not uncommon. On the approach to Makambako the Udzungwa Mountains National Park raise 2,137m to the north, while the Kipengere Mountains roll ahead to the south. Makambako is one of the meeting points of the railway and the Tanzania-Zambia Highway. Additionally is the Songea-bound road, making Makambako a busy town where travellers in transit to Songea, Iringa, Dar es Salaam and Mbeya find their connections. The residents of Makambako capitalise on the opportunity to sell their products to travelers. Young boys and girls do an enterprising trade in fruits, cooked maize, sweet potatoes, roasted chicken, sugar cane, chewing gum and cigarettes.

From Makambako the railway and the highway run a parallel course towards Mbeya. They run passed the Kipengere Mountains that towers to the left. Mostly grassland, with occasional belts of forest along the river courses, they rise to a height of over 2400m. During the wet season, from December to May, this area becomes an enormous carpet of flowers. Travellers by road have the opportunity of stopping to admire some of the more impressive scenic wonders to be found among the southern splendor. For example, from the vicinity of Kitulo, a bracing walk may be made to the summit of Chaluhangi (2929m). But perhaps the most rewarding is the walk to the summit of Mtwori, which at 2,961m, is the highest point in the Southern Highlands.

A four-wheel drive vehicle track leading towards Njombe passes near the mountain base. From here a walking track bears left to the ridge of the mountain where a magnificent plateau is covered by monadenium flowers. Visitors are advised, however to arrange for escorts and to inquire about track conditions before setting out.

After the Kipengele Mountains, the Uporoto Range takes over with the Usangu Flats stretching to the right. Many streams cross the highway to empty into these flats where game, which has strayed outside the Ruaha National Park, may be sighted.

At Chimala, a track leading south offers a scenic drive to Ntamba in the Uwanji area, where pyrethrum is cultivated. Here the lovely woodlands include Brachystegia trees, while a variety of flowers, among them the rare Eulophia norlindhii orchid, flourish in the grass beneath the trees. Butterflies and hawk moths add their touch of color. From the top of the Ntamba escarpment one may have a superb view over the Usangu and Buhoro Flats.

These flats form the drainage basin of the Great Ruaha River. The flats which, may be explored from Chimala, are a paradise for botanasits, lepidopterists and entomologists. From Chimala the highway and the railway pass through a series of scenic delights, including sights of interesting birds such as martins and swifts, waterfalls and stretches of open savannah with flat swampy areas, usually full of flowers, before entering Mbeya town.

Clustered around verdant hills with the protective backdrop of the Mbeya Ranges towering over it, Mbeya was founded in 1927 to serve the gold mines at Lupa. After the gold fields were closed in 1956 the town continued to grow, relying on its agricultural production, to become a scenic gem in its setting amongst the southern splendor. From Mbeya town, both the Tazara and the highway, head northwestwards to Tunduma where they cross the border to Zambia.

Connection to other systems

The gauge is RailGauge|42 to match Zambia Railways. Zambia Railways are connected to Zimbabwe, and South Africa, so that TAZARA is a point of access to the railroad systems of Central and Southern Africa. There was originally no connection with the RailGauge|1 Tanzania Railways Corporation system at the port of Dar-es-Salaam. A transshipment station has existed at the break of gauge station of Kidatu since 1998.

Standards

* TAZARA uses the American style AAR coupling. [ RailwaysAfrica 2008/1 p8 ]
* TAZARA use Air/Vacuum brakes ??

There are 22 tunnels in the Udzunga Mountains which limit the loading gauge.

Towns served by TAZARA

* Kapiri Mposhi, link to Zambia Railways
* Serenje
* Mpika
* Kasama, Zambia
* Nseluka - proposed junction for branch to Port Mpulungu.
* Tunduma, Tanzania
* Mbeya
* Mlimba
* Ifakara
* Kidatu - minor break of gauge with Tanzanian Railway branch
* Dar-es-Salaam - ocean port

ignificance

The PRC government sponsored construction of the railway specifically to eliminate Zambia's economic dependence on Rhodesia and South Africa. The TAZARA has been a major economic conduit in the region. However, it has never been profitable and more recently it has suffered from competition from road transport (such as the Transcaprivi Highway and Walvis Bay Corridor to Namibia) and the re-orientation of Zambia's economic links towards South Africa after the end of apartheid. [ [http://www.seat61.com/Zambia.htm Seat 61 website accessed 20 February 2007] ] See following section.

It is ironic that the TAZARA closes a missing link in the envisioned Cape-Cairo railway of Cecil Rhodes.

Future of TAZARA

In 2005 the governments of Tanzania and Zambia agreed to privatize TAZARA due to a serious fall in traffic from 1.2mT in 1990 to 630kT in 2003 and a need for $25m worth of locomotive repairs.

Officials of the governments opened meetings on April 20 2006. While the method of privatization was not determined at that time, officials stated that Chinese interests may be given priority due to their previous involvement in the railway. [cite web|url=http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/News/News2404200614.htm|title=Tanzania, Zambia in talks over sale of joint railway| author=Edwin, Wilfred|work=The East African|year=2006-04-23| accessdate=2006-04-27|]

A decision may be made in February 2007. [ [http://www.railwaysafrica.com Railways Africa website accessed 20 February 2007.] ]

Under discussion is an extension to the great lakes with connections to Burundi and Rwanda. [http://allafrica.com/stories/200507260939.html]

ee also

*Zambia Railways
*Transport in Tanzania
*Transport in Zambia

References

External links

* [http://www.tazara.co.tz/ Official website of TAZARA]