Market Overview
Zambia has two main rail systems: the TAZARA Railway, jointly operated with Tanzania, connecting the Copperbelt to the Port of Dar es Salaam; and the Zambia Railways network, serving domestic freight and passenger routes. Both systems have suffered from years of underinvestment and require significant rehabilitation. The Lobito Corridor project, linking the Port of Lobito in Angola through the DRC to Zambia's Copperbelt, has attracted major Western and multilateral investment as a strategic alternative freight corridor. Zambia's copper mining industry is the primary driver of rail freight demand, with new mining investments increasing the urgency of improving export logistics. The government is also studying connections to the East African SGR network. Chinese, European, and American companies are competing for influence in Zambia's rail rehabilitation.