By Senior Editor, China Africa News
Beijing,67 Tanzanian railway technicians including 11 women have graduated from a three-month training programme commissioned by China and hosted by Beijing Jiaotong University.
The training, carried out by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), is being hailed as a milestone in the deepening of Sino-Tanzanian railway cooperation.
The programme was designed to meet a pressing need in Tanzania: the rapid expansion of its standard-gauge railway (SGR) network demands skilled personnel who can operate, maintain, and manage complex rail infrastructure. According to CCECC, the Tanzanian trainees came from a cross-section of essential frontline roles from drivers and wagon inspectors to technicians, freight staff, and safety officers.
Instruction combined rigorous classroom theory with hands-on training. China’s Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College played a key role in providing practical teaching support, particularly in four vital areas: mechanical and vehicle maintenance; passenger and freight safety management; dispatch efficiency; and operational system management.
Importantly, the graduates will return to Tanzania as “seed instructors,” a model that reflects a long-term vision: rather than just building infrastructure, China and Tanzania are working together to build local capacity.
These newly trained instructors are expected to train other Tanzanian railway personnel, helping to create a sustainable pipeline of talent for the country’s railway sector.
For Tanzania, the benefits are clear. Human-capital development is central: by training its own personnel, the country can reduce dependency on foreign experts and develop a self-reliant workforce. Operational efficiency and safety are also likely to improve thanks to the technical grounding provided by the programme.
On China’s side, the initiative signals a shift from pure construction to a more comprehensive partnership. Through technical education and capacity building, China strengthens its influence while also helping to ensure that its infrastructure investments operate reliably in the long run.
This capacity-building effort comes against a backdrop of increasingly strategic ties between the two nations. China is already deeply involved in Tanzania’s railway development not only via construction, but now also in operations.
The CCECC has negotiated a 30-year concession to rehabilitate and operate a key line: TAZARA (the Tanzania-Zambia Railway), which China originally helped build in the 1970s. Under that deal, the company plans to invest about US$1.4 billion in track renewal, safety upgrades, and the procurement of new locomotives and wagons.
The historical roots of the China-Tanzania railway relationship run deep. The original TAZARA railway was a landmark in post-independence Africa–China cooperation, and today’s training initiative underscores a new phase in that relationship: one of joint development, knowledge transfer, and operational sustainability.
Still, the programme raises important questions. While 67 graduates is a meaningful number, Tanzania’s ambitious railway plans may require many more skilled workers. Retaining the instructors once they return home and ensuring they remain committed to training others will be critical. And for such capacity-building to become a lasting legacy, continued institutional and financial support will be necessary.
All told, this training initiative represents more than a simple skills transfer: it reflects a maturing partnership in which China is investing in people, not just infrastructure, and Tanzania is positioning itself to manage and sustain a modern railway system over the long term.
