The first, and only, railway in Ethiopia is the 780km metre gauge line linking the capital, Addis Ababa, with the port of Djibouti in the country of the same name. The first section, from Djibouti (in what was then French Somaliland) to Dire Dawa in Ethiopia (then Abyssinia), opened in 1901, but further construction was delayed by bankruptcy of the original railway company, and the line to Addis Ababa was not completed until 1917.
On the independence of Djibouti the section of the line in that country became the resposibility of the Djibouti government. The remainder of the line remained in Ethiopian government control but became run down and neglected. The section between Dire Dawa and Addis Ababa has been out of service for many years.
A new 760km standard gauge electrified railway is planned to run from Addis Ababa the port of Djibouti, replacing the existing metre gauge railway. In 2011 and 2012, Ethiopian Railway Corporation awarded contracts to China Railway Group for the construction of 660km of that line lying within Ethiopia.
Also in 2012, a contract was awarded to China Railway Group for the construction of a new 37km light rail network for Addis Ababa.
© 2006-2012
Glyn Williams
Flag image from CIA World Factbook
