Train travel in Zambia & Tanzania

Andrew Kerr reports (August 2008): "We travelled from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Kapiri Mposhe in Zambia. The dining car contract has been renewed, so getting food was not a problem. Someone had their back pack stolen out of a compartment window while they were sleeping when we were in a station. This was entirely preventable, as there are closeable metal grilles that can keep out mosquitos and wandering hands. In addition, the doors are lockable when you leave your compartment, you just need to get your carriage attendant to open again when you return (which was easy). Our journey took 72 hours instead of 45, as a goods train had derailed further up the line so we waited for 15 hours, and then later we also ran out of fuel! But I’d do it again: amazing scenery and I met so many interesting people, both other backpackers and locals. I managed to buy a first class sleeper ticket on the day I travelled but I think I was lucky in getting this.

Traveller Chris Cummins reports (July 2007): "We travelled on the Tazara train from Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi from 20.07.07 to 22.07.07. Prospective travellers should be aware that currently there is no restaurant car on the train, the contract has run out and is still under negotiation. Not knowing this, we arrived with only a small amount of food. We also struggled for most of the journey to buy any food from vendors as they mainly sell large bags of potatoes, etc, there was not much other foods available. The ones who do sell the suspect looking roast chicken or fruit do not come down to the end of the train to the sleeping cars, they stay up the front and serve the seated passengers. There are little or no food vendors allowed on the platforms at each station. We were lucky to buy some rice mixed with boiled cabbage from a tin shed kitchen adjacent to a platform, which kept us going. Take all you need to eat and drink. We eventually made it to Kapiri Mposhi over 12 hours late due to numerous stops for repairs. We departed Dar an hour late and stopped in many places so workers could get out and hit the brakes with rocks picked up from the ballast. At one stage the engine was taken away for 4 hours while we sat in the middle of nowhere in the dark until it came back. We had a sleeper cabin and booked all 4 berths so we would not have to share, at each stop in the night we kept the door locked and many tried to look for a bunk with us only to be firmly told by the wonderful carriage hostess (one in each carriage) to go away. At no time though did we feel unsafe or have anything stolen either on the local trains or over 6 weeks travel in Africa. Arriving in Kapiri Mposhi was the usual chaos but we easily found a mini bus to Lusaka and arrived there safely 2 and 1/2 hours later along a good road. Although we did squeeze 26 people and all their luggage into a Toyota Coaster."

David Eerdmans reports (Oct 2005): The Tazara is a great way to travel. We used it between Dar es Salaam and Mbeya (Zambia) on our way to Malawi. Don't expect a modern, comfortable train, and don't expect the trains to run on time. However, for African standards, the train is actually pretty good and it is an absolutely fantastic way to see Tanzanian countryside, some nice scenery and (if you're lucky) some wildlife. In Dar es Salaam the station is a bit out of town, on the road to the airport. A taxi is the best way to get there. The station reminded me of stations in China - not very surprising, as the line was built by the Chinese in the times when Tanzania was still more of less a communist country. We tried to make reservations online, but that didn't work out. Fortunately it was no problem to make reservations in the station only two days in advance.

There are several classes. We took 1st class, which consists of 4-berth compartments. The train interior again reminded me of Chinese trains - you can even spot some Chinese signs on the train. It was however in a pretty bad state compared to Chinese trains I've travelled on: pretty filthy, and many windows and doors were broken. Ride quality is absolutely horrible: the train shakes and bounces like I've never experienced before. Our train left a couple of hours late. Just after departure, the friendly train manager came by to say hello to all 1st class travellers. Some time later we got menus from the restaurant - there's some great food on the train. In addition, first class passengers have access to a lounge car with comfortable seats, cold drinks and incredibly loud music. It could be a nice place to meet people; that is, if there are people: we were the only ones in the car. Never mind - we enjoyed the train thoroughly; hanging out of the window, waving to the kids in the villages and admiring a great sundown. The scenery near Dar es Salaam is rich and green. Waking up the next morning was quite strange, because now the scenery had changed to a yellow, dry landscape. The villages were quite a shock - very poor compared to the thriving city of Dar es Salaam. Somewhere in the afternoon we reached Mbeya, which is a convenient hub to reach Malawi. There are lots of crowded minibuses going to the border. The border can be crossed on foot, after which you can take a minibus again. At the train station in Mbeya you will be approached by touts selling bus tickets to Malawi. Don't fall for this, as they are way overpriced. And don't try to reach Malawi on the day you arrive in Mbeya, as it will involve travelling at night, which isn't exactly a pleasant experience in Africa. You'd better spend the night in Mbeya, which is a pleasant town. As the train station is located way out of the town centre, the best option is a taxi. There are several hotels in town, as well as the nice Swiss-run Karibuni lodge which is located on the main Tanzania - Zambia road.


A meal on board the train from Dar es Salaam to Mbeya... Photo courtesy of David Eerdmans.		The Tazara train from Dar es Salaam to Mbeya... Photo courtesy of Sebastiaan van Kooij

Traveller Peter Hooper reports (May 2005): "There are three classes on the train 3rd, 2nd, 1st. There is also a new seater class which is only slightly better than 3rd. I wouldn't recommend 3rd class..!! We travelled 1st class and it was great. We got our own cabin with beds and we also got room service. 2nd class is ok with beds, etc., but be expected to share and they are men only and women only cabins. To obtain a ticket phone or go to Tazara house in Lusaka (Zambia) or Dar es Salaam TAZARA train station in Dar. If they say they are no tickets ask for the station master as he will be able to get you a ticket."

Traveller Carolyn Deans writes: "The train was clean, comfortable, and we had meals delivered, and there is a rudimentary shower on board..! We got to Kapiri Mposhi in about 42 hours with one 1 or 2 stops in the middle of nowhere. At each station, people sell you bananas and other food through the windows of the train. We would highly recommend this journey. It's also possible to travel on from Kapiri Mposhi to Livingstone by minibus."

Neil McNeilance reports: When the train crosses the border from Tanzania into Zambia, the restaurant staff will only accept Zambian Kwatcha. I had both Tanzanian Shillings and US Dollars, but neither were acceptable so the only way I could get something to eat was to go round the other compartments until I could find someone who was willing to change some dollars. Money changers get on the train before the border and it would be a good idea to get some local currency at this point, albeit at a poor rate. I imagine the situation will be the same travelling in the opposite direction. Apart from this slight inconvenience, the journey was fantastic and gives a great window into rural African life.

Mukuba Express from dar es Salaam to Mbeya & Kapiri Mposhi Restaurant car on the Tazara train from Tanzania to Zambia.

Above: The Mukuba Express from Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi...
Photo courtesy of Jean-Michel Stobino
The restaurant car of the Mukuba Express...
Photo courtesy of Jean-Michel Stobino

4-berth 1st class sleeper on the train from Dar es Salaam to Zambia Sleeper corridor on the Tazara train from Tanzania to Zambia

A 4-berth 1st class sleeper on the Mukuba Express
Photo courtesy of Jean-Michel Stobino
The sleeper corridor...
Photo courtesy of Jean-Michel Stobino

Kitwe - Kapiri Mposhi - Lusaka - Livingstone

A concession called Railway Systems of Zambia has taken over from Zambia Railways, running passenger trains between Livingstone, Lusaka, Kapiri Mposhi (change for TAZARA trains to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania) and Kitwe. If you have any feedback or further information about these services, or any photos that could be used on this page, please e-mail me. Please double-check all train times locally.   These times incorporate recent changes as of October 2008, thanks to traveller Mark Torkington.

Livingstone ► Lusaka ► Kitwe

Kitwe ► Lusaka ► Livingstone

See note A Express - Note B See note A Express - Note B

0 km Livingstone depart 20:00 Mon, Fri 18:00 Wed, Sun Kitwe depart 08:45 Mon, Fri -

467 Lusaka arrive   13:20 Tue, Sat 09:10 Thur, Mon Ndola   arr / dep   11:30 Mon, Fri -

depart   14:20 Tue, Sat - Kapiri Mposhi   arr / dep   16:42 Mon, Fri -

652 Kapiri Mposhi   arr / dep 21:30 Tue, Sat - Lusaka arrive   23:50 Mon, Fri -

785 Ndola   arr / dep 02:50 Wed, Sun - depart 00:30 Tues, Sat 18:00 Tues, Thurs

851 Kitwe arrive 06:00 Wed, Sun - Livingstone arrive 18:45 Tues, Sat 09:10 Wed, Fri

Note A: Economy class seats only. No sleepers or first class. Run by Railway Systems of Zambia using South African passenger coaches.
Note B: Express. Economy seats only.
In Kapiri Mposhi, trains use the 'old' station, not the 'new' (Tazara) station.

Fares...

One way per person in economy class

Livingstone - Lusaka: 30,000 ZMK (£4 or $7)

Livingstone - Kapiri Mposhi: 43,000 ZMK (£6 or $10)

Lusaka - Kapiri Mposhi: 13,000 ZMK (£2 or $3)

Children under 6 travel free, children under 14 pay half fare. Just buy tickets at the station.
On board the trains:

Until 2006, there were four classes of accommodation, sleeper class with 2-berth & 4-berth compartments, 1st & 2nd class upholstered reclining seat, and economy class with basic hard seats. However, as from 2006, the train now has economy class seats only, using ex-South African economy seats cars.

The Kitwe-Lusaka-Livingstone train, in its new 2007 guise. Photo courtesy of Dennis Nicoll.

Traveller's reports:

Traveller Dennis Niccoll from Canada travelled in June 2007: "At Kitwe station there is detailed information posted about prices but nothing about schedule. The ticket office seemed permanently closed, so I asked around and was eventually directed to the parcel office. There, a lady told me that the train leaves at 9 am Monday, Wednesday and Friday and, with a lot of prompting, that it is scheduled to arrive in Livingstone at noon on following day.   She said there was no first class or sleeper. I was worried about how bad third class would be so I arrived early to check it out before committing to the trip. Locals I had spoken to said that there was no way they would take the train, and that I certainly should not take it! I arrived early on Friday morning and got a good look at the train from behind a fence.    Most cars had seats with padded backs. Coaches looked in good condition with clear, unbroken windows. It was not too crowded so I would at least be able to get a seat. I decided to go and joined the ticket line, which moved slowly and as I got near the front realized that there was nobody selling tickets – we moved up as people in front gave up! A guard standing nearby said to buy the ticket from the conductor on board. I found a good seat facing forward in a car near the back to avoid noise, soot and smell from the engine. Seating was 2 person bench seats facing each other. The train left on time at 09:00, but it soon stopped for no obvious reason. According to my map, we almost right at the Congo border on the route to Ndola. I bought my ticket from the conductor and paid only 27,500 Kwacha (about CAD7.30). Later, a man came up to me and started talking about lights. I eventually realized he worked on the train and that only 3 of the 12 cars had lights that worked at night and that he was strongly advising me to move to a car with lights! We went back one car but it had only hard seat backs, so we went toward the front of the train. He found me a space on 3-person bench with seats facing each other. We were stopped a long time in Kabwe (1 ½ hours). I slept on and off sitting uncomfortably on my bench, and we reached Lusaka at about 04:15 and left at 06:15. I never could get any idea of when we would arrive in Livingstone. It had long been obvious that the scheduled 12-noon arrival was out of the question.   I got estimates of 22, 23, then, as they say, ‘zero one’. We arrived at ‘zero two’ on Sunday, 41 hours after leaving Kitwe. I decided it was too risky to walk or take a taxi to look for a hotel at this time of night, so I went with many others to the third class waiting room. It’s a shed-like place with a concrete floor open on one side and with only one bench seat to hold 4 of the 50+ people waiting. I sat on some concrete steps; cold and unsleeping till six when it started to get light. By 6:30 it was light enough to walk into town, eat (no food on the train), find a hotel, and visit the excellent railway museum!"

Tanzania Railways routes

Dar es Salaam - Kigoma, Mwanza, Moshi, Arusa

Trains aren't running on the route from Dar to Moshi or Arusha at the moment, but here's what's running to northern Tanzania:

Dar es Salaam ► Kigoma / Mwanza:

Km
Classes:
1, 2 & 3 1, 2 & 3

0 Dar es Salaam * depart 17:00 Tuesdays, Fridays, Sundays 17:00 Tuesdays & Fridays

465 Dodoma 08:10   Wednesdays, Saturdays, Mondays 08:10   Wednesdays & Saturdays

840 Tabora arrive 18:25   Wednesdays, Saturdays, Mondays 18:25   Wednesdays & Saturdays

840 Tabora depart 20:10   Wednesdays, Saturdays, Mondays 21:30   Wednesdays & Saturdays

1256 Kigoma arrive 07:25   Thursdays, Sundays, Tuesdays     |

1220 Mwanza arrive -   07:25   Thursdays & Sundays

1st class consists of 2-berth sleepers; 2nd class converts to 6-berth sleeper compartments for overnight use; 3rd class is simple seating.

* Dar es Salaam Tanzania Railways station is about 8km (5 miles) from the Dar es Salaam Tazara station.

Change at Tabora for Mpanda, a train departs Tabora Mon, Wed, Fri at 21:00 arriving Mpanda 10:30 next day.

A train leaves Mpanda on Tue, Thur, Sat at 13:00 arriving Tabora 02:45 next day, connecting for Dar es Salaam.

There's a route map at the official TRC website, www.trctz.com/networkmain.htm

Kigoma / Mwanza ► Dar es Salaam

Classes:
1, 2 & 3 1, 2 & 3

Mwanza depart - 18:00 Thursdays & Sundays

Kigoma departs 17:00   Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays    |

Tabora arrive 04:30   Wednesdays, Fridays, Mondays 04:00   Fridays & Mondays

Tabora depart 07:25   Wednesdays, Fridays, Mondays 07:25   Fridays & Mondays

Dodoma   18:40   Wednesdays, Fridays, Mondays 18:40   Fridays & Mondays

Dar es Salaam * arrive   08:50   Thursdays, Saturdays, Tuesdays 08:50   Saturdays & Tuesdays

Fares...

One way per person...

Dar es Salaam to Kigoma 54,900 Shillings (£28 or $45) 1st class sleeper
39,700 Shillings (£20 or $35) 2nd class sleeper

Travellers' reports...

Above: The Tanzanian Railways train to Mwanza.
Photo courtesy of Andy Allsebrook

Travellers Andy Allsebrook, Tim Lonsdale & Steven ‘Bungle’ Hoyland travelled from Dodoma to Mwanza in 2008: "The train ride was one of the most wonderfully Africa experiences of the whole trip. From the disorganised beginnings to the chaotic, scrambling end we never felt more like we were off the beaten track and truly amongst everyday African life. We departed around 8am (I forget the day we left – they all had begun to blend into one by then) and trundled slowly across the sparse Africa landscape. Occasional stops were made in what seemed like the middle of nowhere but out of the baking scrubland impromptu markets erupted at the arrival of the train. The standard meal off the train was greasy goat and soggy, undercooked chips served in a plastic bag with far too much salt. Meals on the train were brought to our couchette (which we shard we 3 other passengers). It was usually of a rather high standard (fish and rice or chicken and rice) and was incredibly cheap. The train had a bar which was jam packed with drunken Africans who would want to engage in banter (always friendly) every time we headed up there for a beer. We would have loved to have sat and drank with them but there was simply no room. Moving between carriages to get to the bar was a mission in itself – the gaps between them were unguarded and each carriage change required a leap of faith which left ones heart pounding. Unfortunately, after about 10 hours the bar had been drunk dry and I had to resort to reading my Jilly Cooper novel (having travelled from Rwanda English language novels were hard to find so forgive me). Around 10 hours into the journey we stopped in a large town (I forget its name) [probably Tabora] to await the arrival of a train from the lake. Having been given no indication as to how long this would be we were reluctant to leave the train for too long. One of our party of 3 would leave the train to get cold drinks/goat when needed but no one wanted to stray too far for fear of being trapped in the town with no name. We needn’t have worried. The train remained at this station, unmoving, from around 6pm to 11am the next morning with absolutely no explanation. Africa is as Africa does however and the stoical, unblinking acceptance shown by the families around us made the journey bearable. We struck up conversations, wandered to station and drank warm cokes (the fridge in the shop had by now broken down). The night was spent sweating on a red leather couchette bed while we conversed in the pitch dark with the young African doctors who were taking the train home. They laughed at us when we said we did no believe in God. But it was a friendly laugh, almost one of pity. In the night a rat appeared in our compartment, scuttling from under the bed to under the sink and back again. Then into the space between to carriage walls. Sleep was difficult with a rat inches from your head. We spent the next full day and half of the next night until we arrived in Dodoma, hot, filthy, starving, thirsty, tired, angry and approximately 20 hours late. But after a shower and a beer we looked back on it as the best journey so far in Africa and it turned out to be one of the best of the trip."

Above: The train from Dar to Kigoma, showing 2nd class 6-berth sleeper. Photos courtesy of Graham Sowa . Read his blog at http://grahamrussellsowa.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/train-across-tanzania/#more-180.

Zanzibar

Dar es Salaam - Zanzibar ferry...

There's a twice-daily fast ferry between Dar es Salaam and the island of Zanzibar, departing at 14:00 & 16:00, journey time 1 hour 30 minutes. Departures from Zanzibar at 10:00 & 13:00. Fare $55 economy class or $65 first class. See http://www.explorerkenya.com/tanzaniasafaris/ferryservicesfromdaressalaamtozanzibarpemba.html.

Thomas Cook Overseas Timetable

It's probably the most adventurous timetable ever produced... The famous Thomas Cook Overseas Timetable has train, bus & ferry times for every country in Africa, Asia, North and South America and Australasia. It is updated every two months. If you're going to use trains and buses around southern Africa, I'd strongly recommend buying a copy, as much of the information simply cannot be found online. It's an essential publication for any serious traveller, and an inspiration for armchair travellers.

It costs £13.99 from the bureau de change section of any UK branch of Thomas Cook, or you can buy it online at www.thomascooktimetables.com with worldwide delivery. Alternatively, you can buy the twice-yearly Independent Traveller's edition at Amazon.co.uk also with shipping worldwide.

Guidebooks

To get the most from a trip to Southern Africa, you'll need a good guidebook - and I think the Lonely Planet guides are about the best ones out there.

Buy Lonely Planet Southern Africa online at Amazon.co.uk

Or buy direct from the Lonely Planet website, with shipping worldwide.

Hotels & accommodation

Hotels in Dar es Salaam, Lusaka & elsewhere in Africa...

A good guidebook like the Lonely Planet or Rough Guides will point you at some good hotels in each town or city when you get there, or you can pre-book hotels in most towns & cities worldwide through www.hotelscombined.com, just use the search box below. This is not a hotel booking website, but a free search tool which checks all the main hotel booking sites for you (AsiaRooms, Opodo, Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms and many others) to find the cheapest hotel rates on the net. Set up in 2005, it's an amazing system and probably the best place to start for booking any hotel online in any country, worldwide.

◄◄◄ Search all the major hotel

booking websites at once...

Powered by Hotelscombined.com

Flights...

Overland travel by train & bus around Southeast Asia is an essential part of the experience, so once there, don't cheat and fly, stay on the ground! But a long-haul flight might be unavoidable to reach Asia in the first place. For flights to Singapore or Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok, start with Opodo.com. Opodo is a flight-booking site started by a consortium of airlines and Amadeus, and it's normally where I start looking for a flight myself. Seat61 gets a small commission through this link.

Travel insurance

Get insured...

Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash (up to a limit) and belongings. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself). Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy after clicking these links.

If you're a UK resident, try Direct Line whom I've used myself on many occasions, or Columbus Direct.

If you're resident in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct Australia.

If you're resident in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.

Get an international SIM card...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, but if you buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company such as www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85%. It cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries. It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home. It also works for laptop or PDA data access. A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.

Train operators :	Tanzania & Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), www.tazara.co.tz. Tanzania Railways Corporation Dar es Salaam-Kigoma/Mwanza, www.trctz.com. Railway Systems of Zambia (no website).
Time zone:	GMT+2
Currency:	£1 = 7,820 Zambian Kwacha = 2,005 Tanzanian Shillings. Currency converter
Visas:	UK citizens need visas to visit both Zambia & Tanzania.
Tourist information:	www.zambiatourism.com Tripadvisor Tanzania page Health & vaccinations
Page last updated:	31 July 2009

How to travel by train in

Tanzania & Zambia. . .

Country information

Train travel in Tanzania & Zambia...

On this page...

On other pages...

Dar es Salaam - Kapiri Mposhi (Tazara)

Dar es Salaam ► Mbeya ► Kapiri Mposhi

Kapiri Mposhi ► Mbeya ► Dar es Salaam

Fares...

How to buy tickets...

Travellers' reports...

Kitwe - Kapiri Mposhi - Lusaka - Livingstone

Livingstone ► Lusaka ► Kitwe

Kitwe ► Lusaka ► Livingstone

Fares...

On board the trains:

Traveller's reports:

Livingstone-Victoria Falls

Tanzania Railways routes

Dar es Salaam - Kigoma, Mwanza, Moshi, Arusa

Dar es Salaam ► Kigoma / Mwanza:

Kigoma / Mwanza ► Dar es Salaam

Fares...

Travellers' reports...

Zanzibar

Dar es Salaam - Zanzibar ferry...

Thomas Cook Overseas Timetable

Guidebooks

Buy Lonely Planet Southern Africa online at Amazon.co.uk

Hotels & accommodation

Hotels in Dar es Salaam, Lusaka & elsewhere in Africa...

◄◄◄ Search all the major hotel

booking websites at once...

Flights...

Travel insurance

Get insured...

Get an international SIM card...