An electric rail cutting across Ethiopia from its capital Addis Ababa all the way to the Red Sea state of Djibouti will start operating by September this year.
“We have completed 95 per cent of the project. We are waiting for allocation of electricity for the line and will start full operation in September,” said Mr Getachew Betru, the CEO of the Ethiopian Railway Corporation
The Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway links Addis Ababa with the port of Djibouti, providing landlocked Ethiopia with improved railroad access to the sea.
The 3 billion dollars railway will boost trade in the region by introducing faster movement of goods, reducing the time to two hours from eight hours. However, hundreds of trucks take a minimum of four days for a round trip between the two points.
China is building the 756 KM electric railway with financing from the Export-Import Bank of China
Getachew Betru chief executive of the Ethiopian Railways Corporation defended the performance of the corporation which was criticised in the Auditor-General’s report for using additional funds without notifying the Finance ministry, poor documentation and for implementing projects before conducting environmental impact assessment, among others. The corporation official cited the urgency and the complexity of the projects as well as lack of previous experience in their defence.
“It is a game-changer for us,” said Getachew. “It will be one of the most vibrant economic corridors in the world.”
