Tanzania and Angola have reached an agreement to develop a railway link connecting their Atlantic and Indian Ocean transport corridors through Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has announced.

The plan will join Angola’s Benguela Railway with the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA), stretching the Lobito Corridor to Tanzania’s port of Dar es Salaam. Supporters say the link could boost regional trade and give landlocked nations along the route better access to global markets.

The deal comes as investment in regional rail infrastructure picks up steam. Tanzania is also weighing collaboration with Angola on an oil refinery, though no investment commitment has been made.