Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line constructed by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) in Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Transport and infrastructure experts say the proposed railway linking western Uganda to Tanzania’s railway network is technically and economically viable, raising hopes that the project could significantly transform trade across East and Central Africa.
Officials say the planned cross-border railway would connect mineral-rich western Uganda and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to Tanzania’s Standard Gauge Railway network and the Port of Dar es Salaam, reducing transport costs while improving access to global markets.
Under the proposal, the railway would extend from Isaka in northwestern Tanzania—where the country’s Standard Gauge Railway currently terminates—before crossing into Uganda at Kikagati. The line would then pass through Mbarara, Bihanga and Kasese before terminating at Mpondwe near the Congolese border.
Regional planners believe the corridor could create a vital trade route for eastern Congo’s vast mineral reserves while also opening export opportunities for western Uganda’s agricultural and industrial products.
“The main objective of the project is to connect the vast and mineral-rich regions of Uganda, Tanzania and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to the Port of Dar es Salaam while reducing transport costs and transit time,” according to project documents prepared by the Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency.
The railway project gained renewed political momentum after talks between Samia Suluhu Hassan and Yoweri Museveni in Dar es Salaam earlier this year, where the two leaders discussed trade logistics and regional industrial cooperation.
President Hassan said the discussions focused on improving access for Ugandan traders to Tanzanian ports, particularly Dar es Salaam and Tanga, to ease cargo movement from landlocked Uganda. She noted that Uganda had requested Tanzania to extend railway connectivity deeper into Ugandan territory to facilitate smoother and cheaper transportation of goods.
Museveni said the two countries are also exploring industrial specialisation to strengthen regional value chains. Under the discussions, Tanzania could focus on locomotive manufacturing while Uganda expands textile production to support regional industrial growth.
Uganda’s coordinator of Northern Corridor Integration Projects, Ambassador Richard Kabonero, said railway development remains central to improving the region’s economic competitiveness.
“This railway is more than steel and tracks — it represents critical links to enhance cooperation,” Kabonero said, describing the project as a strategic investment in regional integration.
Preliminary technical surveys have identified several possible routes on both sides of the border. On the Tanzanian side, planners are considering routes from Isaka through Lusahunga to Murongo or Kikagati, as well as Isaka through Nyakasanza to Omurushaka and Kakunyu.
In Uganda, the proposed routes include Kikagati–Mbarara–Bihanga–Kasese–Mpondwe, as well as Kikagati or Nshongyezi through Ntungamo to Bihanga and Kasese before continuing to Kamango near the Congolese border.
The corridor’s western terminus at Mpondwe is one of Uganda’s busiest border crossings with the DRC, serving as a key gateway for trade between the two countries.
Linking the corridor to Tanzania’s Standard Gauge Railway network could redirect significant freight traffic toward the Port of Dar es Salaam, which handles more than 18 million tonnes of cargo annually for inland markets including Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.
The project has also received backing from the African Development Bank, which approved funding for project preparation under the NEPAD Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility.
The railway has moved through several technical stages since April 2024, when Uganda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo held a tripartite meeting and agreed to conduct a joint route survey. Experts later surveyed the corridor from Isaka to Mpondwe in October 2024 and confirmed several viable alignments.
In April 2025, a Joint Technical Committee meeting in Kampala drafted a memorandum of understanding outlining governance structures and technical standards for the railway project.
Transport permanent secretaries from Uganda and Tanzania later approved the cooperation framework in December 2025, paving the way for ministerial signing and feasibility studies expected to begin in 2026.
If completed, the railway could dramatically improve logistics across western Uganda and eastern Congo, regions rich in gold, cobalt, copper and coltan, while also supporting exports of agricultural products such as coffee, maize and dairy.
Trade between Uganda and Tanzania has expanded rapidly in recent years, reaching approximately $2.23 billion in 2024, reflecting deepening economic ties between the two neighbours.
Both governments say the railway will complement other regional infrastructure projects, including the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, which will transport crude oil from Uganda’s Albertine Graben to Tanzania’s port of Tanga for export.
Regional officials say once the Uganda–Tanzania section progresses to advanced planning stages, the Democratic Republic of Congo is expected to formally join the project, potentially extending the railway deeper into one of Africa’s most resource-rich regions.
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