China is investing billions of US dollars on a huge modern rail network that will eventually traverse the length and breadth of Africa. 

It’s all part of Beijing's long-term vision to drive growth and development in the continent's latent economies.‍

China plans to expand its own rail network by more than 30,000 kilometers, spending over half a trillion US dollars along the way.

But it also has groundbreaking plans for a similar project in Africa.

Through the Belt and Road initiative, a Chinese-led economic strategy linking some of the world's developing markets, China is helping to modernize Africa's rail network, using it as platform for economic growth and development.

Early next month, Chinese contractors are set to complete a 500-kilometer standard gauge rail project in Kenya which will connect the port city of Mombasa to its capital, Nairobi.

Meanwhile, in the landlocked Ethiopia, a 700-kilometer railway line linking its capital Addis Ababa to Djibouti on Africa's east coast has already been completed.

Plans are also underway to construct more rail lines in Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.

Experts say a reliable intra-continental rail network will bring real economic benefits to the whole of Africa.

"Africa can learn from our experience. They see that railways can boost an economy. Now we are seeing every African country planning to build 7-8,000 kilometers of rail. We realized the same thing in China. No matter how tight money is, we spare some for our railroads,” said Wang Mengshu, Chinese Academy of Engineering. 

It is expected that by 2020 Africa will begin to see the full potential of rail networks, which are expected to open up markets and provide more efficient access for African goods.