Rwanda pushes rail route to Kigali

Rwanda has moved to strengthen its access to the Central Corridor through a standard gauge railway link intended to connect Kigali with Tanzania’s expanding rail network and, later, the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The planned Rwandan section will run for about 150 kilometres from Rusumo on the Tanzanian border to Kigali, forming the final domestic stretch of the long-discussed Isaka-Kigali railway. The project is designed to give Rwanda a faster and more reliable route to the port of Dar es Salaam, easing a dependence on road haulage that has long raised costs for importers, exporters and regional logistics firms.

President Paul Kagame’s talks with President Samia Suluhu Hassan in Dar es Salaam on May 3 placed the rail project back at the centre of bilateral cooperation. The two governments have framed the line as a trade-enabling infrastructure priority rather than a standalone transport scheme, linking it to wider efforts to reduce non-tariff barriers, improve customs processes and deepen commercial ties across the East African Community.

The full Isaka-Kigali link is expected to cover more than 500 kilometres, with the longer section running through Tanzania from Isaka towards Rusumo. Once connected to Tanzania’s standard gauge network, cargo from Rwanda would be able to move by rail towards Dar es Salaam, reducing transit times and offering an alternative to congested road corridors. The line could also carry passengers, although freight remains the stronger economic case.

Tanzania has already built and commissioned major parts of its electric standard gauge railway, including the Dar es Salaam-Dodoma section. Further works are extending the network towards Mwanza, Tabora and other western routes, with the national plan covering more than 2,500 kilometres. A new financing package of about $2.33 billion for two Tanzanian segments has strengthened expectations that the wider corridor will keep advancing despite delays and cost pressures.

For Rwanda, the project carries strategic weight. The country has no railway network and relies heavily on road transport through Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya for seaborne trade. Transport costs remain a significant burden for landlocked economies in the region, particularly for fuel, construction materials, fertiliser, machinery and containerised imports. Rail connectivity would not eliminate border delays or port bottlenecks, but it could lower unit costs for bulk cargo and improve predictability for businesses.

The proposed extension from Kigali towards the DRC border would add a larger regional dimension. Western Rwanda sits close to eastern DRC, a mineral-rich but infrastructure-poor market where trade flows remain constrained by weak transport links, security risks and inefficient border handling. A future rail spur towards Rubavu or another border point could position Rwanda as a transit and logistics platform between the Central Corridor and eastern DRC.

Burundi is also pursuing standard gauge connectivity through Tanzania, with links planned from Uvinza towards Musongati and Gitega. That branch would strengthen the Central Corridor’s role as a route serving multiple landlocked economies. For Tanzania, the payoff lies in higher port volumes, increased railway revenues and stronger influence over regional freight flows competing with the Northern Corridor through Kenya and Uganda.

The financing challenge remains substantial. Railway projects in East Africa have faced repeated delays because of land acquisition, debt concerns, changes in contractor arrangements and the difficulty of matching political timelines with bankable traffic projections. Rwanda and Tanzania have discussed the Isaka-Kigali line for years, but construction has not moved at the pace once expected. The latest push will test whether renewed political momentum can translate into contracts, funding closure and clear implementation milestones.

Commercial viability will depend on more than track construction. Freight tariffs must be competitive with trucking, cargo handling must be reliable, and customs systems must allow goods to move without lengthy stoppages. Rwanda’s logistics sector will also need dry ports, warehousing, last-mile road links and digital cargo-tracking systems to turn the railway into a practical trade corridor.