Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway
The Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway (Amharic: አዲስ አበባ–ጅቡቲ የባቡር መስመር; French: Chemin de fer Addis Abeba–Djibouti, Oromo: Daandii baaburaa Finfinneefi Jibutii, Somali: Jidka Tareenka ee Addis Ababa-Jabuuti) is a standard gauge international railway that serves as the backbone of the new Ethiopian National Railway Network. The railway was inaugurated by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on January 1, 2018. It provides landlocked Ethiopia with access to the sea, linking Ethiopia's capital of Addis Ababa with Djibouti and its Port of Doraleh. More than 95% of Ethiopia's trade passes through Djibouti, accounting for 70% of the activity at the Port of Djibouti.
| Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Schematic diagram of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway. | |||
| Overview | |||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Owner | Ethiopia, Djibouti | ||
| Locale | Ethiopia, Djibouti | ||
| Termini |
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| Stations | 21 (15 for passengers) | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Heavy rail | ||
| System | Ethiopian Railways Djiboutian Railways | ||
| Operator(s) | Ethio-Djibouti Standard Gauge Rail Transport S.C. (from 2024) China Railway Group Ltd. (until 2023) China Civil Engineering Construction Corp. (until 2023) | ||
| Rolling stock | 41 locomotives, 1,130 coaches/wagons | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | January 1, 2018 | ||
| Inauguration | 5 October 2016 (Ethiopia) 10 January 2017 (Djibouti) | ||
| Commercial operation | 1 January 2018 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 759 km (472 mi) | ||
| Number of tracks | single-/double- track | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| Loading gauge | 5300 mm | ||
| Minimum radius | 800–1,200 m (2,600–3,900 ft) | ||
| Electrification | Overhead line 25 kV AC / 50 Hz | ||
| Operating speed | 120 km/h (75 mph) (passenger); 80 km/h (50 mph) (freight) | ||
| Signalling | automatic block & ETCS-2 | ||
| Highest elevation | 2,293 m (7,523 ft) | ||
| Maximum incline | 1.85% | ||
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The total railway capacity is 24.9 million tonnes of freight annually, with 6 million tonnes annually expected in 2023. These plans are accompanied by construction works at the Port of Doraleh to expand the annual cargo handling capacity from 6 to 14 million tonnes, with the aim of reaching 10 million tonnes of cargo by 2022.
In 2019 the railway transported 84 073 passengers and generated US$1.2 million in revenue from that service, less than in 2018. In 2019 the railway generated US$40 million in both passenger and cargo revenue, far below the operating cost of US$70 million. During the first half of 2020, the railway transported 0.7 million tonnes of freight.