(Posted 18th March 2026)
Uganda and Tanzania advance plans for a Cross-Border Railway linking Western Uganda to Dar es Salaam port
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 expanding the railway deeper into one of Africa’s most resource-rich regions
Uganda and Tanzania are advancing plans to build a cross-border railway linking western Uganda and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to Tanzania’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) network and the Port of Dar es Salaam, officials said, in a move aimed at reducing transport costs and boosting regional trade.
The proposed railway would extend from Isaka in northwestern Tanzania, where the Dar es Salaam–Mwanza SGR terminates, crossing into Uganda at Kikagati before continuing through Mbarara, Bihanga and Kasese to Mpondwe near the DRC border.
The corridor is expected to open a new trade route for mineral-rich eastern Congo and western Uganda while strengthening links to Tanzania’s Indian Ocean ports. It is also aiming at creating an alternate route for imports for Uganda and hinterland countries, creating redundancy from the presently primary route to and from Mombasa port.
The project gained renewed political momentum after Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan recently hosted Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Dar es Salaam for talks on trade, logistics and industrial cooperation.
Samia said the leaders discussed improving access for Ugandan traders to Tanzanian ports, particularly Tanga and Dar es Salaam, to ease cargo movement from landlocked Uganda. She added that Uganda had asked Tanzania to extend railway connectivity deeper into Ugandan territory to facilitate smoother and cheaper transport of goods.
Museveni said the two countries were also exploring industrial specialization, with Tanzania potentially focusing on locomotive manufacturing while Uganda expands textile production to strengthen regional value chains..
Preliminary surveys have identified several possible routes. On the Tanzanian side, planners are considering Isaka–Lusahunga–Murongo/Kikagati and Isaka–Nyakasanza–Omurushaka–Kakunyu/Nshongyezi, while in Uganda proposed routes include Kikagati–Mbarara–Bihanga–Kasese–Mpondwe and Kikagati/Nshongyezi–Ntungamo–Bihanga–Kasese–Kamango.
Mpondwe is one of Uganda’s busiest border crossings with the DRC. Linking the corridor to Tanzania’s SGR could shift significant freight flows 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.
