Malawi: Malawi Unveils Plans for New Railway Link to Tanzania As Transport Costs Squeeze Consumers

What the report says

Malawi has outlined plans for a new north-bound railway that would connect the country to the Tanzania-Zambia railway network, according to a report distributed by AllAfrica from Nyasa Times. The proposal was presented by Transport and Public Works Secretary Bright Kumwembe at the opening of a two-day Central Corridor National Stakeholders Dissemination Workshop. He described the line as a phased “flagship project” tied to the Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency.

The reported goal is to reduce heavy transport costs that are increasing prices for businesses and households in Malawi. Kumwembe said the government is at the feasibility-study stage and that the African Development Bank is expected to support that work. The planned route would give Malawi access to the Tazara line, which links Zambia and Tanzania’s port of Dar es Salaam, a major route for regional cargo.

The article notes that Malawi’s rail system remains limited, with only small existing stretches in the center and east of the country. It also points to long-standing problems on the southern rail corridor, including damage to the Nsanje link after the collapse of the Mtayamoyo Bridge in 1999 and delays in rebuilding the Marka-Bangula line. In broader context, Malawi’s reliance on costly road transport has been a recurring economic challenge, especially for imports and exports moving through regional corridors.