Henan ZongXiang Heavy Industry, a leading Chinese manufacturer of railway materials, has successfully exported a 500-ton batch of CR100 steel rails to Zambia. The shipment, completed in late October 2025, marks another milestone in the company’s expanding footprint across Africa’s rail sector.

The CR100 rail—named for its 100-pound-per-yard weight—meets American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) standards. Each 12-meter section weighs approximately 50 kilograms per meter, offering a balance of strength and cost-efficiency ideal for medium-traffic lines. Zambian buyers selected this grade for its proven performance in mixed freight and passenger operations, particularly on routes connecting copper mines to export corridors.

The order originated from a Zambian state-owned rail operator upgrading the 1,067-worth of legacy track between Lusaka and the Copperbelt. Aging 85-pound rails, installed during the colonial era, could no longer handle modern axle loads of 25 tons. ZongXiang’s CR100 rails, produced using continuous-cast billets and vacuum-degassed steel, guarantee a minimum tensile strength of 880 MPa and excellent wear resistance—critical for Zambia’s abrasive quartz-rich ballast.

Production took place at ZongXiang’s ISO 9001-certified mill in Xinxiang, Henan Province. The company deployed a universal rolling process to achieve precise dimensional tolerances: head width within ±0.5 mm and height variation under 0.3 mm. Each rail underwent ultrasonic testing to detect internal flaws exceeding 2 mm, ensuring zero rejects upon delivery.

Logistics posed the primary challenge. The batch—equivalent to 10,000 linear meters—required 250 twenty-foot containers. ZongXiang coordinated with COSCO Shipping to route the cargo via Qingdao Port, across the Indian Ocean, and through Dar es Salaam. From Tanzania, the rails traveled 1,800 kilometers by road to Kapiri Mposhi, where Zambian Railways took possession. Total transit time: 42 days.

Quality assurance extended beyond the factory gate. ZongXiang dispatched two engineers to supervise unloading and conduct on-site hardness tests using portable Brinell equipment. Results averaged 260 HB, well within the 240–280 HB specification. Zambian inspectors signed off without reservations.

This export aligns with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which has financed over 1,200 kilometers of rail upgrades in Zambia since 2018. Yet ZongXiang emphasizes commercial viability over political optics. The CR100 rails were priced at $720 per ton FOB Qingdao—competitive against South African and Indian suppliers—thanks to the company’s in-house quenching and tempering line that reduces production costs by 8%.

Local impact is immediate. The upgraded track will raise train speeds from 40 km/h to 80 km/h on key sections, cutting transit times for copper concentrate by 30%. Zambian welders, trained during a prior ZongXiang project, will join the rails using aluminothermic kits supplied in the same shipment.

ZongXiang now eyes follow-up orders. Zambia Railways has signaled intent to replace an additional 1,000 tons of rail in 2026. Meanwhile, the company is certifying its CR100 profile for 1,067 mm Cape gauge—a variant already in use across southern Africa.

The export underscores a broader trend: Chinese rail manufacturers have captured 65% of Africa’s steel rail import market since 2020, driven by price, quality, and end-to-end service. For ZongXiang, the Zambian contract is not an endpoint but a reference point for deeper penetration into the continent’s $15 billion rail rehabilitation pipeline.