The first modern electrified standard gauge railway in East Africa, linking Ethiopia and Djibouti, was inaugurated on Wednesday, Oct. 5, China Daily reported.
Built by two Chinese companies and financed by a Chinese bank, the 750-kilometer railway connects Addis Ababa to Djibouti, a port city to the Red Sea. The railway is expected to reduce travel time from seven days by road to about 10 hours, through railway designed for a speed of 120 kilometers per hour.
The event was led by Hailemariam Desalegn, prime minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and Ismail Omar Guelleh, president of the Republic of Djibouti.
The two Chinese firms that developed the railway were China Railway Engineering Corp and China Civil Engineering Construction Corp. while China Export and Import Bank provided the loan to support 70 percent of the capital.
"This train is a game-changer," Mekonnen Getachew, CEO of the Ethiopian Railways Corp, said. "Ethiopia is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. The connection to the ports (of Djibouti) will give a bounce, and our economy will grow faster."
Ethiopian PM Desalegn said in his keynote speech that the $4 billion railway project is a clear indication of Africa's desire and commitment to hasten the integration process.
"Ethiopia is once again in the continental map as a pioneer toward implementing modern infrastructure, courtesy of China," Desalegn said.
Meanwhile, Djibouti President Guelleh said that the project, which was conceived in 1897 and achieved only with China's help, is a symbol of friendship and integration between the two countries.
"China has stood by us and has been instrumental in building not only our regional infrastructure but the whole of Africa," Guelleh said. "We see a prosperous future as a more integrated continent. This railway represents the new face of Africa, which is ready to take charge of its destiny."
Xu Shaoshi, special envoy of President Xi Jinping and head of the National Development and Reform Commission and Yuan Xingyong, vice-president of Export-Import Bank of China, were present during the occasion, as well as Togo's President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe.
According to Xu, the railway is an achievement of cooperation and friendship, calling it a road map to the future.