On February 23, 2026, Tanzanian officials announced that the feasibility study and preliminary design of the Mtwara to Mbamba Bay Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project had been completed. This railway mainline running through southern Tanzania has a total length of about 1000 kilometers and is planned to have two branch lines, namely Liganga and Muchuuma, simultaneously. It is an important cross-border logistics and resource development channel in East Africa.

The project starts from Mtwara Port on the coast of the Indian Ocean in the east and ends at Mbamba Bay on the shore of Lake Nyasa in the west. The designed passenger speed is 160 kilometers per hour and the freight speed is 120 kilometers per hour. After completion, it will connect Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi and other countries, providing a stable sea route for inland countries. The route passes through the southern mineral rich area, covering key resource development zones such as iron ore and coal, with outstanding economic and strategic value.

The estimated total investment for this project is about 5.6 billion US dollars, which is not yet included in the government's direct investment list. The Tanzanian Ministry of Transport stated that it will promote the PPP public-private partnership model in a phased implementation approach and actively study it to attract private capital and financial institutions to participate globally. In 2023, several countries including China, the United Kingdom, South Africa, the United States, and Canada have expressed their investment intentions.

At the same time, the Dar es Salaam Mtwara railway section has been included in the overall railway plan of the East African Community (EAC), as a key corridor connecting the two core ports, which will further support regional integration and the construction of land sea intermodal networks in East Africa.Editor/Bian Wenjun