The Centre for Chinese Studies at Stellenbosch University published on 29 June 2015 a commentary titled "Chinese Companies Awarded US$ 9 Billion to Construct Railways in Tanzania" by Nusa Tukic.
The railway construction is part of a broader trans-regional East African transport and energy network known as the Lamu Port-Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSET) project. Most of the financing for the railway projects in Tanzania will come from commercial banks.