A 46-hour train journey transports passengers across two countries through wildlife, waterfalls and mountains. The Tazara Railway, a 1,160-mile route, links Dar es Salaam on Tanzania’s eastern coast to Kapiri Mposhi in central Zambia.
It has been named one of the “world’s most incredible train journeys” by Lonely Planet. From the coast, the train runs south of Mikumi National Park and enters the Selous Game Reserve and crosses the Great Ruaha River. The Selous is one of the largest faunal reserves in the world and passengers can often see wildlife such as giraffe, elephant, zebra, antelope and warthog.
The railway then cuts through Kilombero Valley, passing the Kibasira Swamp and going between Mlimba (the Kingdom of Elephants) and Makambako (the Place of Bulls). The most spectacular feature is the bridge across the Mpanga River, which stands on three 164ft tall pillars. The Tazara then climbs into the plateau of the Southern Highlands, into the coffee and tea country of the Njombe Region. It enters the Udzungwa Mountains National Park, with views of the Kipengere Range, before entering Makambako.
From Makambako, the railway runs towards Mbeya, passing the Kipengere Range and crossing tributaries of the Great Ruaha, which are lined with belts of forest and grasslands.
The Uporoto Range then takes over, with the Usangu Flats stretching to the north, before the route heads to Tunduma and crosses the border into Zambia.
The Tazara enters northeastern Zambia, crossing the Chambeshi River en route to Mpika. It then runs along the foothills of the Muchinga Mountains, past Serenje and Mkushi to Kapiri Mposhi, located due north of the Zambian capital, Lusaka.
There are two services a week, departing on Tuesdays and Thursdays in each direction. There is an ordinary service, with 107 stops, and the express service, with fewer stops. The train is popular among tourists who want to see big game without having to go on safari.
The project was built from 1970 to 1975, financed and supported by China. At its completion, the Tazara was the longest railway in sub-Saharan Africa.
It was built to eliminate landlocked Zambia’s economic dependence on Rhodesia and South Africa, both of which were ruled by white-minority governments.
