The management of the Chinese-built Ethiopian-Djibouti railway was officially transferred to Ethiopia on May 10, after being managed by China for the last six years after its completion. It is an integral part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Since 2018, the railway has transported approximately 530,900 passengers and 7,328,500 metric tons of cargo. The railway had been managed by the Chinese Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), one of the companies that built the railway. The 750 kilometer railway connecting Addis Ababa and culminating at the port of Djibouti is not only Ethiopia’s first standard gauge line but also the first electrified railway project in Africa.
“This strategic coastal railway has fundamentally altered the transportation dynamics of goods between our two nations, resulting in diminished transit durations and enriched trade prospects,” Abdi Zenabi, executive director of the Ethio-Djibouti Railway, said at the ceremony marking the transfer of management.
