Djibouti-Ethiopia railway construction advances into final stage

Hiiraan Online
Sunday January 31, 2016

DJIBOUTI (HOL) – Djibouti’s government expects the completion of a railway linking its country and neighboring Ethiopia in three months time, with the network that stretches across the desert borders entered the final stage.

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According to officials, the Chinese-financed project aims to reduce costs for thousands of trucks that shuttle goods between the two countries every day.

Government officials from Djibouti’s railway authority who have toured across the under construction railway said that 80 employees would run the operation having completed six months of professional training in China.

“We are expecting to have this railway going into operation within three months.” said Mohamud Roble, the railway authority chief during a visit to the railway.

According to business experts, the new railway network would help the land-locked Ethiopia to have its imports delivered more rapidly via Djibouti’s port, rather than the sluggish old line more than Djibouti which has a large port.

Government officials said that the new electrified railway that runs parallel to the abandoned Ethio-Djibouti Railway, a meter-gauge railway that was originally built by the French between 1894 and 1917. However, the standard gauge railway is being built on a new right-of-way that does not reuse any of the old stations.

The tiny Horn of Africa nation’s geographic location has attracted the worlds; largest economies in addition it hosts the US’s military Camp Lemmonier, the only permanent military base the US runs in Africa. China has also recently opened a new military base.

Djibouti also accommodates army presences for France, Japan, Italy and Germany.

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