Tanzania & Zambia: TAZARA resumes passenger train operations!

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) has announced that passenger trains are set to continue to operate within the respective regions between Dar es Salaam and Mbeya in Tanzania, and between Kapiri-Mposhi and Nakonde in Zambia. Interstate cross-border passenger train services between Tanzania and Zambia remain suspended for the time being. This operational plan is subject to further review, in due course, as TAZARA works to fully resolve the existing challenges. Therefore, until further notice, the train services will be available in the respective regions of Tanzania and Zambia, as follows:

The Kilimanjaro Train

• Departing Dar es Salaam for Mbeya at 13:50 every Tuesday and at 15:50 every Friday, terminating at Mbeya Station.
• Departing Mbeya for Dar es Salaam at 18:00 every Wednesday and Saturday.

The Mukuba Train

• Departing Kapiri-Mposhi for Nakonde at 14:00 every Tuesday and at 16:00 every Friday, terminating at Nakonde Station.
• Departing Nakonde for Kapiri-Mposhi at 18:00 every Wednesday and Saturday.

(c) TAZARA

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) is a bi-national railway, jointly owned by the Government of Tanzania and the Government of Zambia on an equal share-holding basis. The 1,860 km-rail runs from Tanzania and East Africa’s major seaport of Dar es Salaam into the heart of Zambia's Central Province, terminating at New Kapiri-Mposhi, where it is further linked by road and rail to Zambia's capital city, Lusaka (about 200 km), Zambia's mining nerve centre, the Copperbelt province (about 100 km) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

Tanzania & Zambia: TAZARA announces suspension of passenger train operations until further notice!

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) has announced the suspension of passenger train operations between Tanzania and Zambia with effect from 18 June 2024, until further notice. This suspension has been necessitated by various operational challenges that the authority is facing. In the meantime, between now and when the suspension takes effect next week, the trains will operate regionally as follows:

The Kilimanjaro Train

• Depart Dar es Salaam for Mbeya at 00:05 on 15 June 2024, and terminate at Mbeya.
• Depart Mbeya for Dar es Salaam at 05:00 on 16 June 2024.

The Mukuba Train

• Depart Kapiri-Mposhi for Nakonde at 00:05 15 June 2024, and terminate at Nakonde.
• Depart Nakonde for Kapiri-Mposhi at 10:00 on 16 June 2024

(c) TAZARA

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) is a bi-national railway, jointly owned by the Government of Tanzania and the Government of Zambia on an equal share-holding basis. The 1,860 km-rail runs from Tanzania and East Africa’s major seaport of Dar es Salaam into the heart of Zambia's Central Province, terminating at New Kapiri-Mposhi, where it is further linked by road and rail to Zambia's capital city, Lusaka (about 200 km), Zambia's mining nerve centre, the Copperbelt province (about 100 km) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

TAZARA: Resumption of normal train operations!

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) has announced that the reopening of the mainline, which was temporarily closed on 01 April 2024 due to landslides and formation failures caused by heavy rains in the Mlimba–Makambako area of Tanzania. As a result, normal train operations will resume immediately, with passenger trains planned to run as follows:

• Kilimanjaro Ordinary Passenger Train: The inaugural journey will depart from Mbeya to Dar es Salaam on 25 May at 18:00.
• Udzungwa Shuttle Passenger Train: The first journey will depart from Makambako to Kidatu on 25 May 2024 at 19:00
• Dar es Salaam Commuter Passenger Train: The normal route operations from Dar es Salaam to Mwakanga shall resume on 27 May 2024.
• Kilimanjaro Ordinary Passenger Train (cross-border): The journey will commence from Dar es Salaam to New Kapiri-Mposhi on 28 May 2024 at 13:50
• Mukuba Express Passenger Train (cross-border): The first cross-border journey will depart from New Kapiri-Mposhi to Dar es Salaam on 28 May 2024 at 16:00
• All trains will adhere to their regular schedules thereafter

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) is a bi-national railway, jointly owned by the Government of Tanzania and the Government of Zambia on an equal share-holding basis. The 1,860 km-rail runs from Tanzania and East Africa’s major seaport of Dar es Salaam into the heart of Zambia's Central Province, terminating at New Kapiri-Mposhi, where it is further linked by road and rail to Zambia's capital city, Lusaka (about 200 km), Zambia's mining nerve centre, the Copperbelt province (about 100 km) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

TAZARA: Cancellation of the new timetables!

We just got information from the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) that the new timetables for the TAZARA Railway, which were due to be implemented on 01 June 2017, have been shelved until further notice. This follows a review of the technical and operational challenges emanating from the operation of the Kilimanjaro Ordinary Train. TAZARA continues to review the situation with a view to finding long-term solutions to the challenges faced in the operation of the passenger trains.

The TAZARA Railway, operated by the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), is a railroad in East Africa linking the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania with the town of New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia's Central Province.

TAZARA: Adjustment of timetables for cross-border passenger trains

update (08 June 2017): The new timetables have been shelved until further notice. [more]

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) has just informed us that it will, with effect from 01 June 2017, adjust the Interstate (Cross-Border) Passenger Train Timetables in order to provide for:

• Ample time for immigration formalities for international travellers
• More detention (stoppage) time at all the stations that are normally congested with parcels and/or passengers
• More time and convenient connections for passengers u-turning at the Tunduma/Nakonde Border

Overall, the adjustments will affect the train movements in the following manner:
 
Terminal Departures

• The departures for the Mukuba passenger trains will remain the same. The Mukuba Express will depart New Kapiri-Mposhi in Zambia on Tuesdays at 16:00 and depart Dar es Salaam in Tanzania for the return journey to New Kapiri-Mposhi on Fridays at 15:50.
• The Kilimanjaro Ordinary will depart Dar es Salaam on Tuesdays at 11:00 and leave New Kapiri-Mposhi for the return journey to Dar es Salaam on Fridays at 11:00.

Terminal Arrivals

• In the case of the Mukuba Express, which departs New Kapiri-Mposhi on Tuesdays 16:00, the arrival time at Dar es Salaam will now be 12:10 on Thursday, while arrival time for the New Kapiri-Mposhi bound Mukuba Express will be 13:45 on Sunday.
• For the Kilimanjaro Ordinary, which departs Dar es Salaam on Tuesdays at 11:00, the arrival time at New Kapiri-Mposhi has changed to 22:54 on Thursday. For the return journey from New Kapiri-Mposhi, the Kilimanjaro Ordinary Passenger Train will now be reaching Dar es Salaam on Sunday at 22:09.

Connections at Nakonde

• The passengers from Zambia who board the Mukuba Express on Tuesday will arrive in Nakonde on Wednesday morning at 08:41 and may return back to their home stations the same day with the Kilimanjaro Ordinary departing Nakonde at 19:34.
• For those who head to Nakonde from New Kapiri-Mposhi with the Kilimanjaro Ordinary on Friday, they will arrive in Nakonde on Saturday at 14:07 and may catch the returning Mukuba Express Train at 19:40 the same day.

Detention Times at Stations

• The detention period has now increased to 10 minutes for Nseluka, Chimba, Chandaweyaya, Makasa, Luchewe and Kapwila stations in Zambia and Chita, Mgeta and Mbingu stations in Tanzania, where extreme congestion of passengers and parcels have been observed in the past.
• In the same vein, detention time has been increased to 25 minutes at Kasama and Chozi stations, to 40 minutes at Nakonde and Makambako stations and to 60 minutes at Mbeya station, for purposes of immigration formalities and other technical reasons.

TAZARA: Passenger train operations in Zambia to resume with immediate effect!

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) just announced the resumption of passenger train operations in Zambia that were suspended on 20 January 2017 following a work stoppage declared by unionized employees demanding the immediate adjustment of the salary dollar-exchange (parity) rate. The train operations will resume with immediate effect.
The TAZARA Railway, operated by the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), is a railroad in East Africa linking the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania with the town of New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia's Central Province.

TAZARA: Suspension of all train operations in Zambia until further notice! >>

TAZARA: Suspension of all train operations in Zambia until further notice!

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) just informed us that all passenger train operations in Zambia have been suspended until further notice. The move has been necessitated by an illegal work stoppage, which has been declared by unionized employees who are demanding for the immediate adjustment of the salary dollar-exchange (parity) rate.
The strike and the suspension of operations is on the Zambian side only and does not affect TAZARA's operations in Tanzania where passenger trains are running normally between Dar es Salaam and Mbeya.

The TAZARA Railway, operated by the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), is a railroad in East Africa linking the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania with the town of New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia's Central Province.

TAZARA: Train operations back to normal!

Following a ruling by the High Court of Tanzania, Labour Division, declaring the strike by the unionized workers of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority in Tanzania as unlawful, the suspension of TAZARA's operations has been uplifted. All train operations have therefore resumed with immediate effect. The Court also ordered that the employees are permanently restrained from conducting illegal strikes in future.
In the meantime, TAZARA also managed to source funds to pay all the employees their salary arrears, which were a subject of the strike both in Zambia and in Tanzania. Workers in both countries have resumed work immediately.

TAZARA: Suspension of all train operations until further notice! >>

TAZARA: Suspension of all train operations until further notice!

We just received the following press statement from the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA):

Suspension of all train operations

Dar es Salaam, Monday 12 January 2015 – Following the withdrawal of labour by unionized employees of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), we regret to announce the suspension of all train operations between Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia, from Monday 12 January 2015 until further notice.
As a result of the longstanding operational challenges that have seen TAZARA operating at a loss for more than ten years now, losses that have now reached a crisis level, the Authority has been unable to meet most operational costs, the bulk of which include expenses for running spares for locomotives and rolling stock, fuel and salaries for employees.
In the last few months, the Management had appealed to the employees to exercise further patience whilst long-term sustainable solutions were being sought in conjunction with the Shareholders in order to end the perennial operational challenges.
However, on Monday 12 January, the employees in both regions of Tanzania and Zambia communicated to the Authority that they would no longer wait for the promised solutions and opted to down tools to press for the immediate payment of the unpaid salaries covering the last five months.
TAZARA has since requested the two shareholders to provide further guidance on the matter.
In the meantime, all stations have been instructed to refund intending passengers who were booked to travel on our passenger trains this week.
The inconveniences caused to TAZARA's clients and passengers are deeply regretted.

TAZARA re-organises its passenger train operations, introduces new timetable

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) has announced some big news. The railway in East Africa linking Tanzania with Zambia has re-organised its passenger train operations and introduced new timetables. With effect from 26 August 2014, the inter-state cross-border passenger trains between Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia will no longer run through across the borders. Instead, the passenger trains will operate as local trains within the respective borders of Tanzania and Zambia, intersecting and both u-turning at the Tanzania/Zambia border station of Nakonde. Passengers who intend to cross the border and travel by train all the way through to the other country will be required to swap trains at Nakonde in order to proceed to Dar es Salaam or New Kapiri Mposhi, respectively.
According to TAZARA, the new timetables for the Tanzanian and Zambian operated trains have been designed in such a way as to allow for the interfacing of the trains at Nakonde station so that any passengers that are crossing into the other country have sufficient time to swap the trains and proceed with their journey with minimum inconvenience.

TAZARA cancels operations in Zambia until 21 April 2014

We just got information from the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) that the Dar es Salaam-bound Kilimanjaro Ordinary Passenger Train that was scheduled to depart New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia on 18 April 2014 at 14:00hrs CAT has been canceled due to the closure of the main line in Tanzania following various incidences that have affected operations.

• all the train stocks are currently in Tanzania, with one of the stocks being blocked in Dar es Salaam where a Heavy Motor Trolley derailed on Tuesday 15th April 2014 thereby blocking the line.
• In the last two weeks, heavy rains in Dar es Salaam have wrecked havoc, causing one major wash-away that dismantled the soil formation and left 40 metres of the rail hanging about 2.4 kilometres from the Port of Dar es Salaam as well as a major landslide affecting about 25 metres of the track, 36 kilometres from Dar es Salaam.
• In Tanzania, the Mukuba Passenger Train that was scheduled to depart on 15 April 2014 was eventually cancelled following delays emanating from the landslide and track blockage that resulted from the derailment of the Motor Trolley that was servicing the landslide site.

Rescue operations are currently in progress at all sites and normal operations are expected to resume by 21 April 2014. The next express passenger trains will therefore depart simultaneously from Dar Es Salaam and New Kapiri Mposhi next Tuesday (22 April 2014), while the next ordinary passenger trains will depart simultaneously next Friday (25 April 2014) from Dar Es Salaam and New Kapiri Mposhi.

Tanzania/Zambia: TAZARA to increase fares from 01 July 2013 >>

Tanzania/Zambia: TAZARA shut after accident!

update (25 Nove 2013): We just received an email from Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA). All operations went back to normal on 24 Nov 2013.

update (25 Nov 2013): According to the online edition of the Ugandan newspaper "New Vision", the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) reopened on Sunday (24 Nov 2013) after a 7-day-long closure.

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), which links the Tanzanian port of Dar Es Salaam with the town of New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia's Central Province, has suspended the transportation of passengers and freight between the two countries. The railway is expected to remain closed for at least seven days (since 18 Nov 2013) after a truck destroyed a section of the Chimbuya railway bridge, some 650km from Dar Es Salaam. We'll keep you posted!

Tanzania/Zambia: TAZARA to increase fares from 01 July 2013

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) is set to increase passenger fares for both express and ordinary trains by an average of 23% with effect from 01 July 2013. According to TAZARA's head of public relations, Conrad Simuchile, passengers fares had to be adjusted upwards because of the rising cost of fuel. The last time fares were increased was in 2011.

New Kapiri Mposhi (Zambia) > Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) new fares for express train tickets:

• First Class: KR333.60 (was KR261.00) [currency converter]
• Second Class: KR272.20 (was KR247.50)
• Third Class: KR233,20 (was KR196.00)

New Kapiri Mposhi (Zambia) > Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) new fares for ordinary train tickets:

• First Class: KR278.00 (was KR205.00) [currency converter]
• Second Class: KR226.00 (was KR189.00)
• Third Class: KR194.00 (was KR169)

Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) > New Kapiri Mposhi (Zambia) new fares for express train tickets:

• First Class: TSh104,000.00 (was TSh79,900.00) [currency converter]
• Second Class: TSh84,600.00 (was TSh66,000.00)
• Thrid Class: TS72,000.00 (was TSh58,900.00)

Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) > New Kapiri Mposhi (Zambia) new fares for ordinary train tickets:

• First Class: TSh86,500.00 (was TSh70,400.00) [currency converter]
• Second Class: TSh70,600.00 (was TSh55,000.00)
• Third Class: TSh60,500.00 (was TSh48,600.00)

TAZARA's express passenger trains currently depart simultaneously from Dar Es Salaam and New Kapiri Mposhi every Tuesday, while TAZARA's ordinary passenger trains also depart simultaneously every Friday from Dar Es Salaam and New Kapiri Mposhi.

• TAZARA's trains have First Class coaches with 4 berths per compartment, Second Class coaches with 6 berths per compartment, a semi-luxurious super sitter coach and third class coaches.
• TAZARA's express passenger trains only stop at major stations along the way between Dar Es Salaam and New Kapiri Mposhi and it takes approximately 46 hours to travel between the two destinations. Express trains, according to TAZARA, are recommended for international passengers as they have facilities for comfort
• TAZARA's ordinary passenger trains do not cross the borders, but stop at every serviceable railway station. The classes of coaches are similar to the express train except that these only have one dining car.
• Tickets for the TAZARA trains are sold at most of TAZARA stations and also at TAZARA's Lusaka area office in Dedan Kimathi Street. At the office staff will advise you on how to get to New Kapiri Mposhi from Lusaka.
• At New Kapiri Mposhi one can catch a public bus and taxis to Lusaka (ca. 200km) or any other place you may be travelling to.