TAZARA Railway

The TAZARA line runs about eighteen hundred and sixty kilometres from Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia, built between 1970 and 1975 with Chinese engineering and finance to give Zambian copper an outlet to the sea. It is a serious piece of construction: three hundred bridges, twenty-three tunnels and a climb of the Udzungwa escarpment in a long series of curves. The line runs through the northern part of Nyerere National Park, where animals are regularly seen from the windows.

What you actually see

• The Udzungwa climb - the ascent of the escarpment in tunnels, bridges and curves.
• The park section - animals visible from the train through Nyerere National Park.
• The engineering - some three hundred bridges and twenty-three tunnels on the route.
• The stations - small halts through the southern highlands and the Zambian plateau.

When to go

June to October is the dry season and most reliable. Trains run to a limited weekly schedule and delays of many hours are normal. Booking ahead is necessary for sleepers.

Honest expectations

Delays are routine and journeys frequently run far over the scheduled time. Rolling stock and catering are basic and unreliable. Services have been suspended at times and schedules should be confirmed locally.

Nearby

Dar es Salaam is the eastern terminus, and Mbeya is on the line.