Zambia
Zambia's railways exist because of two things: copper, and the problem of being landlocked. The line south to the sea ran through white-ruled Rhodesia and South Africa, so in the 1970s China built the TAZARA north-east instead — 1,860 kilometres to the Indian Ocean, the Great Uhuru Railway, half of it Zambian.
And in the far south there is something entirely different. At Livingstone, a steam locomotive of 1922 hauls a dining car of 1923 out onto the Victoria Falls Bridge — opened in 1905, prefabricated in Darlington, and spanning the border so exactly that the deck belongs to neither country. Dinner is served while the train stands on it, with the spray of Mosi-oa-Tunya drifting over the windows.
Rail journeys in Zambia
Good to know
What are Zambia's best rail journeys?
Two, and they could hardly be less alike. The Royal Livingstone Express is a steam-hauled five-course dinner train that runs out from Livingstone and stops on the Victoria Falls Bridge at sunset. And the TAZARA Railway — half of which is Zambian — runs 1,860 kilometres from the Copperbelt at Kapiri Mposhi all the way to Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean, taking about forty-six hours. We file the TAZARA under Tanzania because a journey has to sit in one country, but it belongs to both.
Can you still take a train from Zambia to the sea?
Yes, once a week. The TAZARA's cross-border Mukuba leaves New Kapiri Mposhi on Tuesdays for Dar es Salaam. Services were suspended in June 2024 and only resumed on 10 February 2026, at half the previous frequency — the Kilimanjaro was cancelled outright. The authority describes its fleet as constrained by ageing equipment, and a US$1.4 billion Chinese-backed rehabilitation is under way. Check before you plan around it.
Is the Royal Livingstone Express really steam-hauled?
Normally yes — either No. 156, a 10th Class built by the North British Locomotive Company in 1922 for a sawmill company and restored by the wildlife artist David Shepherd, or No. 204, a 12th Class of 1924. They alternate. But the operator also keeps a diesel specifically to reduce wear on the historic engines, so if steam is why you are booking, ask which locomotive is rostered for your date. You will also need your passport: the bridge lies between the Zambian and Zimbabwean border posts.
When is the best time to visit Zambia by train?
June to September is the dry season and the most comfortable time for both journeys — and the TAZARA is considerably more reliable then, since the Tanzanian lowlands flood in the rains. For the falls themselves, February to May is peak flow and overwhelming, though the spray can hide the view entirely; October to January gives low water, the best rafting and access to the Devil's Pool. The dinner train runs all year.