Djibouti’s President, Ismail Omar Guelleh and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, officially opened Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway line. The 752 km standard gauge line links Ethiopia’s capital and the Port of Djibouti.
The new line allow passenger trains to run at 160 km/h and freight trains, at 120 km/h, cutting time travel between the Port of Djibouti and Addis Ababa.
Tests on the new USD 4.2 billion railway line began in October 2016, with regular services transporting goods and passengers expected to begin early this year.
The line was mostly financed by China and it was constructed by the China Railway Group and the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.
In December 2016, Ethiopia and Djibouti have entered an agreement on the establishment of a joint company which will manage the new line. The company will be headquartered in Addis Ababa, and will have the responsibility to provide passengers, freight and maintenance services for the route, according to the agreement.
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