July 7, 2017 - Ethiopian Railway Corporation announced plans that it will start test run of Awash – Woldiya/Hara Gebeya Railway line next month.
The project, which is currently underway in the north-eastern part of Ethiopia, was started in June 2012. Unlike other Ethiopian infrastructure development projects constructed by Chinese companies, some part of this project is being constructed by Turkish construction firm, Yapi Merkezi.
In 2007, Ethiopia’s Council of Ministers established the Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC), with a mandate to develop an integrated and high-capacity railway providing competitive and affordable passenger and freight transport services. The aim for the National Railway Network of Ethiopia is to build eight new railway lines for freight and passengers covering a total distance of 5,000 kilometers working across the country by 2020, in addition to an innovative 32-km light railway in the capital, according to ERC.
According to ERC, the project has now reached 54 percent completion rate. Track has been laid on 250 kilometers of the total 391 kilometers.
The railway will further go north for 220 kilometers and reach Meqele from Hara Gebeya. This section of the railway is being constructed under a separate contract worth 1.5 billion USD and it will constructed by China Communications Construction Co. it was back in February 2015 that Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn laid the corner stone for this project and it now has reached 54 percent.
Source: Railway Gazeete