2.4 Ethiopia Railway Assessment
Website of the Ethio-Djibouti Railway
Rail transport in Ethiopia currently consists of one electrified standard gauge rail line, connecting the Djibouti Port with Addis Ababa, crossing Akaki, Bishoftu, Modjo, Adama, Metehara, Awash, Mieso, Bike, Dire Dawa, Adigala, Ayisha, and Dewele towns, stretching 671 km inside Ethiopia and Queleleh, Ali Sabieh, Holhol and Negad station in Djibouti with a length of 82 km.
Both country and the related railway company sign on January (Year?) an agreement to implement a JV company to manage the line. But the JV itself will assign a Chinese Consortium to manage the line signing a Management Contract.
The railways corporation has identified eight railway corridors for study, design and subsequent implementation. And out of these the first phase, Addis Ababa-Modjo-Awash-Dire Dawa-Dewanle-Djibouti route, 752 km long, is completed in 2017 and operation is started on January 1st of 2018. On January 1st, 2018, the Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn officially inaugurated the Ethiopia-Djibouti line, a new standard gauge international railway and Africa’s first electrified cross-border railway that connects Ethiopia to the Red Sea.
Awash to Hara Gebeya, which is part of the Awash-Kombolcha-Mekele-Shire route, is currently under construction.
Hara Gebeya – Mekele section is also under construction but all the activities stop due the lack of a financer.
In the GTP II the country has make plan to build around 3000 km of railway.
For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List.
Railway Companies and Consortia
There are no private railway companies in Ethiopia.
For more information on railway company contact details, please see the following link: 4.9 Railway Companies Contact List.
Capacity Table
Page 1 No Description Model Quantity Manufacturer Purpose Temporary Parking Place
1 Freight Electric HXDIC 32 ZELC To haul freight wagon Indode Locomotive
2 Passenger HXDIC 3 ZELC To haul passenger wagon Indode Electric Locomotive
3 Diesel Shunting DF10DDB 6 Dalian Loco & For shunting operations Indode Locomotive Rolling stock
4 Hard Seat YZ25G 20 Changehun Railway for passenger transportation Indode Coach Vehicle Co. Ltd (CRC)
5 Hard Sleeper YW25G 4 CRC for passenger transportation Indode Coach
6 Soft Berth RW25G 4 CRC for passenger transportation Indode Coach
7 Dinner Coach RW25G 2 CRC for passenger transportation Dire Dawa Project site
8 Box Wagon PW2 220 BFCY Goods which are afraid of sun, rain snow, erosion and boxed and bagged Dire Dawa (paper products, appliance auto parts, goods and beverages etc.) Project site
9 Covered CW4 110 BFCY Goods such as building materials, steel, coal, core, mechanical equipment’ Dire Dawa Gondola Wagon s wood etc. Project site
10 Uncovered CW3 20 BFCY Goods such as building materials, steel, coal, core, mechanical equipment’ Dire Dawa Gondola Wagon s wood etc. Project site
11 Hopper KW2 20 BFCY Light bulk materials such as grain, fertilizer, flour, salt, sugar, clay lime etc. Dire Dawa Covered Wagon Project site
12 Hopper KW3 20 BFCY Heavy bulk commodities such as coal, coke, stone, sand, ores, gravel, Dire Dawa Uncovered scrap material etc. Project site Wagon
13 Flat Wagon NW5 550 BFCY International containers, and road trailers, Bulk and finished goods such as Dire Dawa a lumber, pipes, plywood, drywall, etc., Can carry refrigeration container Project site
14 Refrigerated BW1 10 BFCY Fresh and perishable food staffs such as fish, meat, vegetable, fruits etc. Dire Dawa Wagon Project site
15 Tank Wagon GW2 110 BFCY Luids (mechanicals and petroleum’s) such as gasoline, diesel etc. Dire Dawa Project site
16 Center beam NW6 20 BFCY Lumber and building material Dire Dawa Wagon Project site
17 Bi-Level Wagon NW7 20 BFCY Large vehicles and automobiles Dire Dawa Project site
Rail Operator Capacity
Operator / Operator / Operator /
Company Name Company Name Company Name
Lines Operates On List lines List lines List lines
Max Train Length and / or Pulling Capacity
Locomotives Electric / Diesel / Steam Electric / Diesel / Steam Electric / Diesel / Steam
Covered Freight Wagons Size (m)
Flatbed Freight Wagons Size (m)
High-sided Freight Wagons Size (m)
Drop-side Freight Wagons Size (m)
Page 2 Key Route Information
Standard Route Information
Route A Route B Route C Route D
From - To From - To From - To From - To
Track Gauge
Ruling Gradient
Total Track Distance Single and / or Double Single and / or Double Single and / or Double Single and / or Double
Type of Rail Weight and if welded or not Weight and if welded or not Weight and if welded or not Weight and if welded or not
Type of Sleeper and Fastenings
Total Track Travel Time
Maintenance Good / Marginal / Bad Good / Marginal / Bad Good / Marginal / Bad Good / Marginal / Bad
Companies / Consortiums Operating on Line
Traffic Frequency Monthly / Weekly / Daily Monthly / Weekly / Daily Monthly / Weekly / Daily Monthly / Weekly / Daily
Security Good / Marginal / Bad Good / Marginal / Bad Good / Marginal / Bad Good / Marginal / Bad
Main Stations
Key Stations
Key Station Information
Sebeta Endode Mojo Adama Metahara Meiso Bike Dire Dawa Dewale
8°55'55.53"N 8°51'15.42"N 8°35'17.42"N 8°30'20.55"N 8°54'49.09"N 9°12'52.51"N 9°33'3.58"N 9°37'43.21"N 11° 4'7.20"N Location 38°41'17.61"E 38°46'7.45"E 39° 8'15.29"E 39°15'51.94"E 39°55'36.97"E 40°43'58.54"E 41°11'33.43"E 41°46'26.85"E 42°38'14.91"E
Contact Information
Road Road Road Road Road Road Road Road, Air Road Connections with Other
Transport Means
Storage Capacity
(m2 and m3)
Handling Equipment
Handling Capacity
Other Comments
Page 3