Transport in Zambia
Encyclopedia
Railways in Zambia
Total: 2,164 km (1995)Zambia Rail Network Map
Railtracker (ACIS/UNCTAD) Zambia Railway Network DiagramPrincipal lines
- Zambia RailwaysZambia RailwaysZambia Railways is the national railway of Zambia, one of the two major railroad organizations in Zambia, which may also be referred to as Railway Systems of Zambia...
Limited (ZRL) — narrow gauge, 846 km KitweKitweKitwe is the second largest city in terms of size and population in Zambia. With a population of 547,700 Kitwe is one of the most developed commercial and industrial areas in the nation, alongside Ndola and Lusaka...
-NdolaNdolaNdola is the third largest city in Zambia, with a population of 495,000 . It is the industrial, commercial, on the Copperbelt, Zambia's copper-mining region, and capital of Copperbelt Province. It is also the commercial capital city of Zambia and has one of the three international airports, others...
-New Kapiri MposhiKapiri MposhiKapiri Mposhi is a small town in Zambia. Located north of Lusaka, it stands on the Great North Road and is significant for the railway connection between Zambia Railways line from Kitwe to Lusaka and Livingstone and western terminal of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority from Dar-es-Salaam since...
-KabweKabweKabwe is the capital of the Zambian Central Province with a population estimated at 210,000. Formerly named Broken Hill, it was founded when the Broken Hill lead and zinc deposits were discovered in 1902. Kabwe also has a claim to being the birthplace of Zambian politics...
-LusakaLusakaLusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
-LivingstoneLivingstone, ZambiaLivingstone or Maramba is a historic colonial city and present capital of the Southern Province of Zambia, a tourism centre for the Victoria Falls lying north of the Zambezi River, and a border town with road and rail connections to Zimbabwe on the other side of the Falls...
-ZimbabweZimbabweZimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
with several freight branches mostly in the Copperbelt totalling 427 km including to DR Congo. Passenger services between Kitwe and Livingstone only. - TAZARA Railway — narrow gauge, 891 km in Zambia: New Kapiri MposhiKapiri MposhiKapiri Mposhi is a small town in Zambia. Located north of Lusaka, it stands on the Great North Road and is significant for the railway connection between Zambia Railways line from Kitwe to Lusaka and Livingstone and western terminal of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority from Dar-es-Salaam since...
-MpikaMpikaMpika is a town in the Northern Province of Zambia, lying at the junction of the Great North Road to Kasama and Mbala and the Tanzam Highway to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It also has a railway station on the TAZARA Railway about 5 km away. Mpika is situated between the Muchinga Escarpment to...
-KasamaKasama, ZambiaKasama is the capital of the Northern Province of Zambia, situated on the central-southern African plateau at an elevation of about 1400 m. Its population, according to the 2000 census, is approximately 200,000. It grew considerably in the 1970s and 1980s after construction of the TAZARA Railway...
-Dar es SalaamDar es SalaamDar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
Notable Branch lines
- Maamba Colliery Railway, ChomaChomaChoma is a market town in the Southern Province of Zambia, lying on the main road and railway from Lusaka to Livingstone. It is home to a small museum dedicated to the cultural heritage of the Tonga people of southern Zambia. The population of Choma is said to be about 40,000 people and it...
to Masuka, built to carry coal. - The Mulobezi RailwayMulobezi RailwayThe Mulobezi Railway was constructed to carry timber from Mulobezi to Livingstone in the Southern Province of Zambia, when the country was Northern Rhodesia...
(also known as Zambezi Sawmills Railway) is a narrow gauge line constructed to carry timber from MulobeziMulobeziMulobezi is a small town in the Southern Province of Zambia, and the centre of its timber industry. Timber extends into Southern Province with which the town is economically linked....
to Livingstone. Has been reported at various times as defunct, currently listed in Railtracker (see 'Railway Network Map' below) but operating status not confirmed. - Mulungushi Commuter Line, later Njanji Commuter Line managed by ZRL, operated from 1991 to 1998 in Lusaka from the Chilenje-Libala to George townships (16 km); bids invited by the privatisiation board in September 2005 for re-opening it.
Railway links with adjacent countries
DR CongoTransport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ground transport in the Democratic Republic of Congo has always been difficult. The terrain and climate of the Congo Basin present serious barriers to road and rail construction, and the distances are enormous across this vast country...
- yes, Ndola
Ndola
Ndola is the third largest city in Zambia, with a population of 495,000 . It is the industrial, commercial, on the Copperbelt, Zambia's copper-mining region, and capital of Copperbelt Province. It is also the commercial capital city of Zambia and has one of the three international airports, others...
to Sakania
Sakania
Sakania is a town in Haut-Katanga District, in the far south of the Democratic Republic of Congo, near the border with Zambia.It is located at an elevation of 1278m asl ,therefore it has a cool climate....
then Lubumbashi - , freight only. (For extensions and reconstruction beyond Lubumbashi see the DR Congo article). The current operating status of Chililabombwe-DR Congo link not known. Tanzania
Transport in Tanzania
Transport in Tanzania is mainly by road, supplemented by rail. Tanzania's road network, is of limited quality and not many roads are tarmacked. Dirt roads become impassable during the rainy season and can remain impassable for days, or, more often, weeks. The only reliable surface connection from...
- yes, from Kapiri Mposhi
Kapiri Mposhi
Kapiri Mposhi is a small town in Zambia. Located north of Lusaka, it stands on the Great North Road and is significant for the railway connection between Zambia Railways line from Kitwe to Lusaka and Livingstone and western terminal of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority from Dar-es-Salaam since...
, border crossing at Nakonde, Zambia, to Dar es Salaam, TAZARA railway, passenger and freight - Malawi
Transport in Malawi
Transportation in Malawi is poorly developed. The country of almost 14 million has 39 airports, 6 with paved runways and 33 with unpaved runways. It has of railways, all narrow-gauge and about 45 percent of its roads are paved...
- Chipata
Chipata
Chipata, population 98,416, is the capital of the Eastern Province of Zambia. The two languages spoken are Nyanja and English, though you might find some Indian languages, as there is a large number of Zambian Indians located in the town...
-Mchinji
Mchinji
Mchinji is a town in the Mchinji District of the Central Region of Malawi. As of 2008 estimates, Mchinji has a population of 25,184. The area's economy is sustained by rain-fed agriculture, although the town is currently in the midst of a food crisis. Mchinji is also a major railroad junction,...
link under construction in 2007 Mozambique
Transport in Mozambique
- Railways :total:3,123 kmnarrow gauge:2,983 km of gauge;narrow gauge:140 km of gauge * The railways do not all interconnect.- Standards :* Coupler: CBC* Brakes: Air- Railway links to adjacent countries :...
- no direct link, but indirectly to Beira and Maputo via Zimbabwe (no continuous passenger services). Zimbabwe
Transport in Zimbabwe
- Railways :The railway operator is National Railways of Zimbabwe.total: 3,077 km , 2,759 km narrow gauge: 3,077 km of gauge , 2,759 km of gauge - Railways :The railway operator is National Railways of Zimbabwe.total: 3,077 km (2002), 2,759 km (1995)narrow gauge:...
- yes, from Livingstone via the Victoria Falls Bridge
Victoria Falls Bridge
The Victoria Falls Bridge crosses the Zambezi River just below the Victoria Falls and is built over the Second Gorge of the falls. As the river is the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, the bridge links the two countries and has border posts on the approaches to both ends, at the towns of Victoria...
to Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
, freight only. Botswana
Transport in Botswana
A sparsely populated, arid country, Botswana has nonetheless managed to incorporate much of its interior into the national economy. An "inner circle" highway connecting all major towns and district capitals is completely paved, and the all-weather Trans-Kalahari Highway connects the country to...
- no direct link, indirectly via Zimbabwe (no continuous passenger services). Namibia
Transport in Namibia
- Road :Namibia's road network is regarded as one of the best on the continent; road construction and maintenance adheres to international standards. It consists of 25,000 km of gravel roads and 9,000 km of earth-graded roads...
- no direct link. Angola
Transport in Angola
- Railways :There are three separate railway lines in Angola:* Luanda Railway * Benguela Railway * Moçâmedes Railway - Highways :* total: 52,429 km* paved: 5,349 km* unpaved: 46,080 km...
- no direct link - but indirectly via DR Congo to Benguela on the Benguela Railway - same gauge , but the Benguela Railway has not operated since the 1970s though there are plans to reconstruct it.
2007
- Chipata Railway: 30 km extension from Malawi RailwaysMalawi RailwaysMalawi Railways, the national rail network in the country of Malawi, was run by a government corporation of that name until privatisation in 1999. With effect from 1 December 1999 the Central East African Railways consortium led by Railroad Development Corporation won the right to operate the...
terminus at MchinjiMchinjiMchinji is a town in the Mchinji District of the Central Region of Malawi. As of 2008 estimates, Mchinji has a population of 25,184. The area's economy is sustained by rain-fed agriculture, although the town is currently in the midst of a food crisis. Mchinji is also a major railroad junction,...
to ChipataChipataChipata, population 98,416, is the capital of the Eastern Province of Zambia. The two languages spoken are Nyanja and English, though you might find some Indian languages, as there is a large number of Zambian Indians located in the town...
. Revived construction was launched on 25 August 2007.
- A branch line from NselukaNseluka- Transport :It has a station on the TAZARA railway. It is the proposed junction for a branch railway to Mpulungu on the shores of Lake Tanganyika....
on the TAZARA Railway to MpulunguMpulunguMpulungu is a town in the Northern Province of Zambia, at the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika.From Mpulungu, boats reach DR Congo, Tanzania and Burundi...
on Lake TanganyikaLake TanganyikaLake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...
has been proposed.
- A connection from the Chipata Railway when completed to the TAZARA line at MpikaMpikaMpika is a town in the Northern Province of Zambia, lying at the junction of the Great North Road to Kasama and Mbala and the Tanzam Highway to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It also has a railway station on the TAZARA Railway about 5 km away. Mpika is situated between the Muchinga Escarpment to...
has been mooted. This could be controversial as it would pass through or between the world-famous Luangwa Valley national parks. A more southerly route, linking Eastern ProvinceEastern Province, ZambiaEastern Province is one of Zambia's nine provinces. The province lies between the Luangwa River and the border with Malawi, from Isoka in the northeast to just north of Luangwa in the south.The provincial capital is Chipata...
towns such as KateteKateteKatete is a small town in the Eastern Province of Zambia, and is headquarters of Katete District. The town is at the foot of rocky hills which lie to its east, including Mpangwe Hill and Kangarema Hill, which rise to 1600 m and are surrounded by cultivated fields...
and PetaukePetaukePetauke is a town and seat of Petauke District located in the Eastern Province of Zambia.Petauke is 400 km from the capital city Lusaka, roughly halfway between Lusaka and the Malawi border...
and going to the TAZARA line at SerenjeSerenjeSerenje is a district in Zambia. There is also the town of Serenje lying just off the Great North Road and TAZARA Railway. The British, during the time that Northern Rhodesia was a British protectorate, designated Serenje as a BOMA . To this day, the locals refer to Serenje Town as the BOMA....
would by-pass the parks.
2006
Zambia's North-West Extension - 8 February 2006 - Preparatory work is going forward on Zambia's proposed new north-western extension railway from ChingolaChingola
Chingola is a city in Zambia's Copperbelt Province, the country's copper-mining region, with a population of 157,340 . It is the home of Nchanga Copper Mine, a deep-shaft high-grade content copper mining operation, which subsequently led to the development of two open pit operations, Chingola...
to Solwezi
Solwezi
Solwezi is the capital of the North Western Province of Zambia. Solwezi has approximately 65,000 inhabitants at an elevation of 1235 m above sea level...
, estimated to cost about $US235m. The area has excellent mining potential which cannot be exploited effectively without rail facilities. The route has been surveyed and the implications of compensating land owners are being worked out. Australian and American interests are examining the project and the Development Bank of Southern Africa
Development Bank of Southern Africa
The Development Bank of Southern Africa is a Development Finance Institution wholly owned by the government of South Africa and focuses on large infrastructure projects within the public and private sector. It is one of several development finance institutions in Southern Africa...
(DBSA) may help with finance. The United States Trade and Development Agency
United States Trade and Development Agency
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency , located in Rosslyn, Arlington, Virginia, is an independent U.S. Government foreign assistance agency pursuant to section 661 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended . The agency was established to advance economic development and U.S. commercial...
(USTDA), another prospective source of funding, is also looking at the scheme. Hopes have been expressed that the new line might eventually be extended to Mwinilunga
Mwinilunga
Mwinilunga is a town in the North-Western Province of Zambia and headquarters of a district of that name. It lies on the West Lunga River, not far from the borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola.- Overview :...
and even to join Angola's Benguela Railway without relying on the DR Congo link, to restore what was until the 1970s Zambia's main route for exporting copper and other metals.
Existing
| • Lusaka Lusaka Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head... - capital |
• Kabwe Kabwe Kabwe is the capital of the Zambian Central Province with a population estimated at 210,000. Formerly named Broken Hill, it was founded when the Broken Hill lead and zinc deposits were discovered in 1902. Kabwe also has a claim to being the birthplace of Zambian politics... |
• Ndola Ndola Ndola is the third largest city in Zambia, with a population of 495,000 . It is the industrial, commercial, on the Copperbelt, Zambia's copper-mining region, and capital of Copperbelt Province. It is also the commercial capital city of Zambia and has one of the three international airports, others... |
| • Kafue Kafue Kafue is a town in the Lusaka Province of Zambia on the north bank of the Kafue River, after which it is named. It is the southern gateway to the central Zambian plateau on which Lusaka and the mining towns of Kabwe and the Copperbelt are located.- Site :... |
• Kitwe Kitwe Kitwe is the second largest city in terms of size and population in Zambia. With a population of 547,700 Kitwe is one of the most developed commercial and industrial areas in the nation, alongside Ndola and Lusaka... |
• Chililabombwe Chililabombwe Chililabombwe is a city located in Zambia's Copperbelt Province. The name means 'place of the croaking frog'.The main economic activity is the mining of copper.... — freight only |
| • Mazabuka Mazabuka Mazabuka is a town in the Southern Province of Zambia, lying south west of Lusaka, on the main road and railway to Livingstone. The town has grown around sugar cane plantations, and currently Zambia Sugar is Zambia's leading sugar producer. It lies near the Mwanachingwala Conservation Area... |
• Kapiri Mposhi Kapiri Mposhi Kapiri Mposhi is a small town in Zambia. Located north of Lusaka, it stands on the Great North Road and is significant for the railway connection between Zambia Railways line from Kitwe to Lusaka and Livingstone and western terminal of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority from Dar-es-Salaam since... |
• Luanshya Luanshya Luanshya is a town in Zambia, in the Copperbelt Province near Ndola. It has a population of 117,579 .Luanshya was founded in the early part of the 20th century after a prospector/explorer, William Collier, shot and killed a Roan Antelope on the banks of the Luanshya River, discovering a copper... — freight only |
| • Choma Choma Choma is a market town in the Southern Province of Zambia, lying on the main road and railway from Lusaka to Livingstone. It is home to a small museum dedicated to the cultural heritage of the Tonga people of southern Zambia. The population of Choma is said to be about 40,000 people and it... |
• Mpika Mpika Mpika is a town in the Northern Province of Zambia, lying at the junction of the Great North Road to Kasama and Mbala and the Tanzam Highway to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It also has a railway station on the TAZARA Railway about 5 km away. Mpika is situated between the Muchinga Escarpment to... |
• Chingola Chingola Chingola is a city in Zambia's Copperbelt Province, the country's copper-mining region, with a population of 157,340 . It is the home of Nchanga Copper Mine, a deep-shaft high-grade content copper mining operation, which subsequently led to the development of two open pit operations, Chingola... — freight only |
| • Livingstone Livingstone, Zambia Livingstone or Maramba is a historic colonial city and present capital of the Southern Province of Zambia, a tourism centre for the Victoria Falls lying north of the Zambezi River, and a border town with road and rail connections to Zimbabwe on the other side of the Falls... |
• Kasama Kasama, Zambia Kasama is the capital of the Northern Province of Zambia, situated on the central-southern African plateau at an elevation of about 1400 m. Its population, according to the 2000 census, is approximately 200,000. It grew considerably in the 1970s and 1980s after construction of the TAZARA Railway... |
• Mufulira Mufulira Mufulira is a town in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. It grew up in the 1930s around the site of the Mufulira Copper Mine on its north-western edge... — freight only |
| • Mulobezi Mulobezi Mulobezi is a small town in the Southern Province of Zambia, and the centre of its timber industry. Timber extends into Southern Province with which the town is economically linked.... |
Ndola Ndola Ndola is the third largest city in Zambia, with a population of 495,000 . It is the industrial, commercial, on the Copperbelt, Zambia's copper-mining region, and capital of Copperbelt Province. It is also the commercial capital city of Zambia and has one of the three international airports, others... |
Roads in Zambia
Total: 91,440 km (2001)Paved: 20,117 km (2001) of which 6,779 km are trunk or main routes.
Unpaved: 71,323 km (2001) (Some of the unpaved highways are graded laterite roads.)
In the 1970s Zambia had one of the best highway networks in sub-Saharan Africa. In 1991 it was estimated by the National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) that 80 percent of the road network had deteriorated and out of total road assets valued at US$2.3 billion, US$400 million had been lost due to neglected maintenance. The government introduced a road fund levy on fuel and that together with international aid has improved the highway network. In 2004 the NRFA rated 57% of paved roads in good condition, 22% in fair condition and 21% in poor condition.
NRFA Zambia Road Network Map showing Road condition and level of use in December 2003
List of principal highways and river crossings
Roads are listed by common name, if any, or main towns served. Major bridges or ferries given in italics. All the listed roads are paved except the Congo Pedicle in DR Congo territory. Note that some share sections, e.g. Great North Road & Tanzam highway between Kapiri Mposhi and Mpika. Usage levels are taken from the NRFA map linked above.Central
- LusakaLusakaLusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
-Copperbelt Road (The most-used inter-provincial highway) - NdolaNdolaNdola is the third largest city in Zambia, with a population of 495,000 . It is the industrial, commercial, on the Copperbelt, Zambia's copper-mining region, and capital of Copperbelt Province. It is also the commercial capital city of Zambia and has one of the three international airports, others...
-KitweKitweKitwe is the second largest city in terms of size and population in Zambia. With a population of 547,700 Kitwe is one of the most developed commercial and industrial areas in the nation, alongside Ndola and Lusaka...
Road (4-lane divided highway — the most used inter-city highway)
North
- Great North RoadGreat North Road (Zambia)The Great North Road is a major route in Zambia, running north from Lusaka through Kabwe, Kapiri Mposhi Serenje, Mpika, Kasama, Mbala and Mpulungu. 82km North of Mpika is a signposted left turn onto a well maintained gravel road leading to Shiwa Ng'andu and Kapishya Hot Springs...
— ChirunduChirundu, ZambiaChirundu, Zambia is a town in Zambia at the border with Zimbabwe and is a key point on the Great North Road. It is the site of two of the five major road or rail bridges across the Zambezi river, the Chirundu Bridges....
-KafueKafueKafue is a town in the Lusaka Province of Zambia on the north bank of the Kafue River, after which it is named. It is the southern gateway to the central Zambian plateau on which Lusaka and the mining towns of Kabwe and the Copperbelt are located.- Site :...
-LusakaLusakaLusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
-Kapiri MposhiKapiri MposhiKapiri Mposhi is a small town in Zambia. Located north of Lusaka, it stands on the Great North Road and is significant for the railway connection between Zambia Railways line from Kitwe to Lusaka and Livingstone and western terminal of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority from Dar-es-Salaam since...
-MpikaMpikaMpika is a town in the Northern Province of Zambia, lying at the junction of the Great North Road to Kasama and Mbala and the Tanzam Highway to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It also has a railway station on the TAZARA Railway about 5 km away. Mpika is situated between the Muchinga Escarpment to...
-IsokaIsokaIsoka is a town located in the Northern Province of Zambia near the borders with Tanzania and Malawi. The district is populated mainly by Winamwanga, but the Wiwa, the Mambwe, the Nyika and the Tumbuka are also found here....
-TANZANIATanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
/ Chirundu BridgeChirundu BridgeThe Chirundu Bridge now consists of two road bridges side by side across the Zambezi River between the small town of Chirundu, Zambia and the village of Chirundu, Zimbabwe. At this location around 65 km downstream from the Kariba Dam the river is about 400 m wide...
(Zambezi), Kafue Bridge (Medium usage level) - Tanzam Highway (northern section of Great North Road) — Kapiri Mposhi-Mpika-TANZANIA (Medium usage level)
- Old Great North RoadGreat North Road (Zambia)The Great North Road is a major route in Zambia, running north from Lusaka through Kabwe, Kapiri Mposhi Serenje, Mpika, Kasama, Mbala and Mpulungu. 82km North of Mpika is a signposted left turn onto a well maintained gravel road leading to Shiwa Ng'andu and Kapishya Hot Springs...
— MpikaMpikaMpika is a town in the Northern Province of Zambia, lying at the junction of the Great North Road to Kasama and Mbala and the Tanzam Highway to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It also has a railway station on the TAZARA Railway about 5 km away. Mpika is situated between the Muchinga Escarpment to...
-KasamaKasama, ZambiaKasama is the capital of the Northern Province of Zambia, situated on the central-southern African plateau at an elevation of about 1400 m. Its population, according to the 2000 census, is approximately 200,000. It grew considerably in the 1970s and 1980s after construction of the TAZARA Railway...
-Mbala-MpulunguMpulunguMpulungu is a town in the Northern Province of Zambia, at the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika.From Mpulungu, boats reach DR Congo, Tanzania and Burundi...
/ Chambeshi Bridge (Low usage level) - MansaMansaMansa is a Mandinka word meaning "king of kings". It is particularly associated with the Keita Dynasty of the Mali Empire, which dominated West Africa from the thirteenth to the fifthteenth century...
-SamfyaSamfyaSamfya is a town located in the Zambian province of Luapula. It is the center of Samfya District. The town is located on the south-western shore of Lake Bangweulu, on the longest stretch of well-defined shore of that lake...
-SerenjeSerenjeSerenje is a district in Zambia. There is also the town of Serenje lying just off the Great North Road and TAZARA Railway. The British, during the time that Northern Rhodesia was a British protectorate, designated Serenje as a BOMA . To this day, the locals refer to Serenje Town as the BOMA....
Road / Luapula Bridge (Low usage level) - Mansa-NchelengeNchelengeNchelenge is a town in the Luapula Province of northern Zambia, lying on the south eastern shore of Lake Mweru. It is contiguous with Kashikishi, and they are sometimes referred to as Nchelenge-Kashikishi...
Road — ('Zambia Way' or Luapula Valley Road) (Low usage level) - Congo Pedicle roadCongo Pedicle roadThe Congo Pedicle road crosses the Congolese territory of the Congo Pedicle and was constructed by and is maintained by Zambia to connect its Copperbelt and Luapula Provinces...
— MufuliraMufuliraMufulira is a town in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. It grew up in the 1930s around the site of the Mufulira Copper Mine on its north-western edge...
-Mokambo-ChembeChembeChembe is a small town in Milenge District of the Luapula Province of Zambia, which owes its existence to being the site of the Chembe Ferry across the Luapula River dividing Zambia and the Congo Pedicle territory of DR Congo...
(links to MansaMansaMansa is a Mandinka word meaning "king of kings". It is particularly associated with the Keita Dynasty of the Mali Empire, which dominated West Africa from the thirteenth to the fifthteenth century...
) / Chembe Ferry — replacement bridge under construction — (Low usage level) - ChingolaChingolaChingola is a city in Zambia's Copperbelt Province, the country's copper-mining region, with a population of 157,340 . It is the home of Nchanga Copper Mine, a deep-shaft high-grade content copper mining operation, which subsequently led to the development of two open pit operations, Chingola...
-LubumbashiLubumbashiLubumbashi is the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, second only to the nation's capital Kinshasa, and the hub of the southeastern part of the country. The copper-mining city serves as the capital of the relatively prosperous Katanga Province, lying near the Zambian border...
/DR CONGO Road (Medium usage level and listed in very poor condition, Dec 2003)
East
- Great East RoadGreat East Road (Zambia)The Great East Road is a major road in Zambia and the only highway linking its Eastern Province with the rest of the country. It is also the major link between Zambia and Malawi and between Zambia and northern Mozambique...
— Lusaka-ChipataChipataChipata, population 98,416, is the capital of the Eastern Province of Zambia. The two languages spoken are Nyanja and English, though you might find some Indian languages, as there is a large number of Zambian Indians located in the town...
-MALAWIMalawiThe Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
-MOZAMBIQUEMozambiqueMozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
/ Luangwa BridgeLuangwa BridgeThe Luangwa Bridge is the only large bridge and the principal engineering challenge on Zambia's Great East Road, crossing the lower Luangwa River where it flows from the Luangwa Rift Valley into the Zambezi valley....
(Low usage level)
West
- Great West RoadGreat West Road, ZambiaThe Great West Road of Zambia runs 610 km from the capital, Lusaka, to Mongu, capital of the Western Province. It connects that province to the rest of the country, as well as being one of two routes to the south-west extremity of North-Western Province...
(Lusaka-MonguMonguMongu is the capital of Western Province in Zambia and was the capital of the formerly-named province and historic state, Barotseland. Its population is 44,310 , and it is also headquarters of Mongu District.-Geography:...
) / Kafue Hook Bridge (Low usage level) (proposed to be extended to KalaboKalaboKalabo is a small town and administrative district in the Western Province of Zambia, on the plains west of the Zambezi River and the Barotse Floodplain, about 70 km from the border with Angola.-Location:...
and Angola via the Barotse Floodplain causeway - Copperbelt-SolweziSolweziSolwezi is the capital of the North Western Province of Zambia. Solwezi has approximately 65,000 inhabitants at an elevation of 1235 m above sea level...
-MwinilungaMwinilungaMwinilunga is a town in the North-Western Province of Zambia and headquarters of a district of that name. It lies on the West Lunga River, not far from the borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola.- Overview :...
-ANGOLAAngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
Road (Low usage level)
South
- Southern section of Great North Road, see above, linking to Zimbabwe.
- Livingstone Road — Kafue Bridge-MazabukaMazabukaMazabuka is a town in the Southern Province of Zambia, lying south west of Lusaka, on the main road and railway to Livingstone. The town has grown around sugar cane plantations, and currently Zambia Sugar is Zambia's leading sugar producer. It lies near the Mwanachingwala Conservation Area...
-ChomaChomaChoma is a market town in the Southern Province of Zambia, lying on the main road and railway from Lusaka to Livingstone. It is home to a small museum dedicated to the cultural heritage of the Tonga people of southern Zambia. The population of Choma is said to be about 40,000 people and it...
-LivingstoneLivingstone, ZambiaLivingstone or Maramba is a historic colonial city and present capital of the Southern Province of Zambia, a tourism centre for the Victoria Falls lying north of the Zambezi River, and a border town with road and rail connections to Zimbabwe on the other side of the Falls...
-ZIMBABWE Road / Kafue Bridge, Victoria Falls BridgeVictoria Falls BridgeThe Victoria Falls Bridge crosses the Zambezi River just below the Victoria Falls and is built over the Second Gorge of the falls. As the river is the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, the bridge links the two countries and has border posts on the approaches to both ends, at the towns of Victoria...
(Zambezi) (Medium usage level) - Livingstone-Sesheke Road — Livingstone-Mambova (-BOTSWANABotswanaBotswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
)-SeshekeSeshekeSesheke is a border town in the Western Province of Zambia, and a district of the same name. It lies on the northern bank of the Zambezi River which forms the border with Namibia's Caprivi Strip at that point....
-NAMIBIANamibiaNamibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
Road / Kazungula FerryKazungula FerryThe Kazungula Ferry is a pontoon ferry across the 400-metre-wide Zambezi River between Botswana and Zambia. It is one of the largest ferries in south-central Africa, having a capacity of 70 tonnes...
(Zambezi, planned to be replaced by a bridge) to Botswana, Katima Mulilo BridgeKatima Mulilo BridgeThe Katima Mulilo Bridge carries the TransCaprivi Highway over the Zambezi River between Katima Mulilo, Namibia and Sesheke, Zambia. It is a road bridge, completed in 2004, 900 metres long and with 19 spans...
(Zambezi) to Namibia. Linked to the Trans–Caprivi Highway by the Katima Mulilo Bridge. (Low usage level.)
Trade Corridors used by Zambia
As a landlocked minerals producer, Trade Corridors are vital to Zambia. In Zambia's case these are road and/or rail routes which cross international borders to ports and which are the subject of international agreements on planning, use and management. They are not separate from the road and rail networks listed above, but are entities superimposed on those networks for strategic economic and trade development. They are:- Southern Corridor: to DurbanDurbanDurban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
Port via JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa via Zimbabwe (road or rail) or Botswana (road). - Maputo Corridor: As for (1) but rail or road from Johannesburg to MaputoMaputoMaputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
Port, Mozambique. - Walvis Bay Corridor: Road via Livingstone/Sesheke/Katima Mulilo to Walvis BayWalvis BayWalvis Bay , is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies...
Port, Namibia. - Beira Corridor: Road to HarareHarareHarare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
or rail to BulawayoBulawayoBulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
, then rail via Mutare to BeiraBeiraBeira can refer to:*Beira , the mother to all the gods and goddesses in the Celtic mythology of Scotland*Beira, Azores, a small village on São Jorge Island....
, Mozambique. - Nacala Corridor: road to LilongweLilongweLilongwe, estimated population 902,388 as of 2009, is the capital and largest city of Malawi. It lies in the country's central region, on the Lilongwe River, near the border of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, and on the main north-south highway of Malawi, the M1.-History:The city started life as a...
then rail to NacalaNacalaNacala, also known as Cidade de Nacala or Nacala-Porto is on the northern coast of Mozambique is the deepest natural port on the east coast of Africa. It serves as the terminal for the Nacala Railway, a rail link to the landlocked Malawi...
, Mozambique. - Tazara Corridor: road or rail via Kapiri MposhiKapiri MposhiKapiri Mposhi is a small town in Zambia. Located north of Lusaka, it stands on the Great North Road and is significant for the railway connection between Zambia Railways line from Kitwe to Lusaka and Livingstone and western terminal of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority from Dar-es-Salaam since...
to Dar es SalaamDar es SalaamDar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
, Tanzania. - Lobito Corridor: rail via DR Congo to Lobito BayLobitoLobito is a town and municipality in Benguela Province in Angola.It dates from 1905 and owes its existence to the bay of the same name having been chosen as the sea terminus of the Benguela railway to the far interior, passing through Luau to Katanga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The...
, Angola (not currently operational, depends on Benguala Railway re-opening).
Source: Regional Transport Infrastructure Development in South Africa, JBIC Review No. 2, November 2000.
Corridors 1 to 6 may also be used by southeastern DR Congo though Zambia.
Water Transport in Zambia
Although none of the major urban centres are located on usable waterways, Zambia is a relatively well-watered country but is mainly flat, meaning there are many navigable rivers, lakes and channels through swamps, which together reach a large proportion of the rural population. These offer a minimum-maintenance rural transport alternative. In the cases of Bangweulu and Mweru Wantipa in particular, there are permanent and seasonal fishing communities for whom the only access is by boat or canoe.Main systems
- 2,250 km of principal navigable rivers, including the upper ZambeziZambeziThe Zambezi is the fourth-longest river in Africa, and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. The area of its basin is , slightly less than half that of the Nile...
(Barotse FloodplainBarotse FloodplainThe Barotse Floodplain also known as the Bulozi Plain, Lyondo or the Zambezi Floodplain is one of Africa's great wetlands, on the Zambezi River in the Western Province of Zambia...
), Chambeshi, KafueKafueKafue is a town in the Lusaka Province of Zambia on the north bank of the Kafue River, after which it is named. It is the southern gateway to the central Zambian plateau on which Lusaka and the mining towns of Kabwe and the Copperbelt are located.- Site :...
, Luapula; and the LuangwaLuangwa RiverThe Luangwa River is one of the major tributaries of the Zambezi River, and one of the four biggest rivers of Zambia. The river generally floods in the rainy season and then falls considerably in the dry season...
, though not always in the dry season. - other rivers navigable to canoes and small boats seasonally or in sections include the Dongwe/KabompoKabompo RiverThe Kabompo River is one of the main tributaries of the upper Zambezi River river. It flows entirely in Zambia, rising to the east of the source of the Zambezi, in North-Western Province along the watershed between the Zambezi and Congo river basins which also forms the border between Zambia and DR...
and Lungwebungu in the west and Luena-Luongo and upper Kalungwishi in the north, and numerous others. - Lake transport — principal navigable lakes (with main port or boating centre in brackets): Lake TanganyikaLake TanganyikaLake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...
(MpulunguMpulunguMpulungu is a town in the Northern Province of Zambia, at the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika.From Mpulungu, boats reach DR Congo, Tanzania and Burundi...
), Lake MweruLake MweruLake Mweru is a freshwater lake on the longest arm of Africa's second-longest river, the Congo. Located on the border between Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo, it makes up 110 km of the total length of the Congo, lying between its Luapula River and Luvua River segments.Mweru...
(NchelengeNchelengeNchelenge is a town in the Luapula Province of northern Zambia, lying on the south eastern shore of Lake Mweru. It is contiguous with Kashikishi, and they are sometimes referred to as Nchelenge-Kashikishi...
-KashikishiKashikishiKashikishi is a town on the south-eastern shore of Lake Mweru in the Luapula Province of Zambia. It lies just north of the district headquarters Nchelenge, and close enough for them to be considered twin towns; they are sometimes referred to as Nchelenge-Kashikishi.While Nchelenge is the seat of...
), Lake Mweru WantipaLake Mweru WantipaLake Mweru Wantipa is a lake and swamp system in the Northern Province of Zambia. It has been regarded in the past as something of mystery, displaying fluctuations in water level and salinity which were not entirely explained by variation in rainfall levels; it has been known to dry out almost...
(Kaputa), Lake BangweuluLake BangweuluBangweulu — 'where the water sky meets the sky' — is one of the world's great wetland systems, comprising Lake Bangweulu, the Bangweulu Swamps and the Bangweulu Flats or floodplain...
(SamfyaSamfyaSamfya is a town located in the Zambian province of Luapula. It is the center of Samfya District. The town is located on the south-western shore of Lake Bangweulu, on the longest stretch of well-defined shore of that lake...
), Lake KaribaLake KaribaLake Kariba is the world's largest artificial lake and reservoir. It lies 1300 kilometers upstream from the Indian Ocean, along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe...
(SiavongaSiavongaSiavonga is a town in the Southern Province of Zambia, lying on the north shore of Lake Kariba. It is Zambia's principal tourism centre for the lake, with accommodation, boating and fishing tours on offer....
). - Navigable channels in swamps: the largest of these is the Bangweulu Swamps comprising hundreds of kilometres of channels over an area of up to 10,000 km² depending on season. Others include the upper Zambezi/Barotse Floodplain especially at Mongu, the lower Luapula, the Mweru MarshesLake Mweru WantipaLake Mweru Wantipa is a lake and swamp system in the Northern Province of Zambia. It has been regarded in the past as something of mystery, displaying fluctuations in water level and salinity which were not entirely explained by variation in rainfall levels; it has been known to dry out almost...
, Lukanga SwampLukanga SwampLukanga Swamp is a major wetland in the Central Province of Zambia, about 50 km west of Kabwe. Its permanently swampy area consists of a roughly circular area with a diameter of 40 to 50 km covering 1850 km², plus roughly 250 km² in the mouths of and along rivers discharging...
, and the Luena-Lufubu swamps at Mushota, Kawambwa district.
Air Transport in Zambia
Zambia has an 'open skies' policy since the state-owned national carrier failed. Before its demise, Zambian AirwaysZambian Airways
Zambian Airways was the flag carrier of Zambia, based in Lusaka, Zambia.Zambian Airways suspended operations on January 10, 2009.- History :...
was the only Zambia-based scheduled carrier. As of November 2009, there are only a number of air charter companies serving the tourism and mining industries and government and aid sectors, and some of these run scheduled services from time to time.
Other international airlines
These change frequently, the main routes serviced by international airlines are:
- Lusaka to Dar es SalaamDar es SalaamDar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
, LilongweLilongweLilongwe, estimated population 902,388 as of 2009, is the capital and largest city of Malawi. It lies in the country's central region, on the Lilongwe River, near the border of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, and on the main north-south highway of Malawi, the M1.-History:The city started life as a...
, NairobiNairobiNairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Addis AbabaAddis AbabaAddis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. - Livingstone to Johannesburg
Airports - With Paved Runways
total: 11over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airfields - with unpaved runways
total: 982,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 63
under 914 m: 30 (2002)
Maps
See also
- ZambiaZambiaZambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
- Zambia railwaysZambia RailwaysZambia Railways is the national railway of Zambia, one of the two major railroad organizations in Zambia, which may also be referred to as Railway Systems of Zambia...
- TAZARA Railway
- Click on the Category links below for further topics.