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An exciting new railway project in East-Central Africa
Initial construction work on the proposed COMESA Great Lakes Railway is getting underway, following the conclusion of a preliminary feasibility study on the project. COMESA had commissioned a private consultant to undertake a final detailed analysis of the project, before work could eventually commence
The 560-km main railway line, estimated to cost in excess of US $435 million, will run from Kasama in northern Zambia to Kasese in Western Uganda. Phase One of this three-phased project is designed to link Kasama to Mpulungu harbour on Lake Tanganyika near the border with Burundi. Phase Two will run from Lake Tanganyika to Lake Kivu in Rwanda. Phase Three will link Lake Kivu to Kasese through Lake Edward.
The preliminary study on the Kasama-Mpulungu spur, conducted by the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) with the financial assistance of the Chinese government, covered only technical aspects of the route. The final study will investigate the financial, technical and benefit costs of the entire railway network which will cover five countries —Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Congo RDC and Zambia. The objective is to provide a shorter transport link between southern Africa and the Great Lakes.
Linking Central and East Africa
This will give these countries an additional and probably cheaper outlet to the sea, consequently facilitating more trade and increased passenger movement between the two regions.
A recent meeting of COMESA Council of Ministers for Transport and Communications from Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia, recommended that the railway project be undertaken through a private/public sector partnership under a Build-Operate-Transfer basis.
Presently, there is no rail link between Kasama and Mpulungu, Zambia’s only port. Kasama is connected to the TAZARA railway which extends from Kapiri Mposhi in Central Zambia to the Tanzanian port city of Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean.
Several capital venture and construction companies within and outside COMESA have shown keen interest in the railway. They include TAZARA, the Development Bank of Southern Africa and Makhosi, a South African construction firm
By providing a direct line to Mpulungu harbour, countries in the Great Lakes will be connected to the southern African railway network as well as to the Atlantic Ocean.
Transport analysts see the Great Lakes Railway as having more benefits than potential dangers. The railway line is expected to reduce the severe damaging effects on the inadequate road networks caused by over-laden lorries, as well as providing a much safer form of travel to many people in these regions where road traffic accidents are frequent.
Through a link to Uganda; Burundi, Rwanda and other countries in central and southern Africa will be connected to the east African railway network and to the Kenyan port of Mombasa. For the two tiny countries of Burundi and Rwanda, so centrally located, such an exciting prospect means they will automatically be linked to the East African Railway system and to Mombasa at the same time.
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