A promotion conference was held on Sept 17 in Ethiopia to promote current operations, freight service and the future of the Ethio-Djibouti Railway.
Themed "Ethio-Djibouti Railway - the Way to Prosperity", the conference was sponsored by Ethio-Djibouti Standard Gauge Railway Share Company (EDR) and CCECC-CREC Joint Venture with more than 100 users of the railway's freight service in attendance.
The railway began operations in January 2018. Its revenue increased by 45 percent in 2019 over 2018, and kept increasing in 2020 despite the COVID-19 outbreak. A year-on-year growth of 51.38 percent was achieved in the first half of 2020.
The line transported more than 100,000 tons of emergency supplies including fertilizer and wheat, ensuring livelihood material and agricultural product supply during the pandemic.
It opened a cold-chain transportation service on Aug 22, transporting fresh agricultural products from Ethiopia to the rest of the world, particularly European countries.
Supporting facilities of the railway are now under improvement.
For example, another line linking two ports of Djibouti is now in operation, Port of Dire Dawa and Modjo Dry Port are under construction and dedicated oil transmission lines are to be built shortly.
China's ambassador to Ethiopia Tan Jian commented that the Ethio-Djibouti Railway is an artery and an economic corridor that connects Ethiopia - an inland country - to the sea, which drives industrialization and urbanization in affected areas. It has also been an important factor in the fight against the pandemic.
Development of the railway in the next five years was also outlined at the conference.
Guo Chongfeng, assistant to CCECC general manager and representative of the CCECC-CREC JV Project Office, said that four pairs of freight trains are scheduled to operate on the railway each day by the end of this year, and in 2023 the number of pairs will rise to six.
China's ambassador to Ethiopia Tan Jian comments at the conference that the Ethio-Djibouti Railway drives industrialization and urbanization in affected areas. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
Dagmawit Moges, minister of Transport of Ethiopia, delivers a speech at the conference to promote current operations, freight service and the future of the Ethio-Djibouti Railway on Sept 17 in Ethiopia. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
(Executive editor: Hao Wen)
