ADDIS ABABA – The Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC) disclosed aspirations to expand national railway network to facilitate economic corridor and overall economic development.
ERC Deputy CEO Getu Gizaw (Eng.) told The Ethiopian Herald that the corporation has finalized feasibility studies of different railway projects to expand national railway network to facilitate economic corridorthereby expediting country’s development.
These project investments would be implemented if the necessary finance is gained, he said, adding that the plan is to reach the railway network to 5700 Kilometers in the next ten years.
Currently, the Railway logistics coverage in Ethiopia is only 15%, which requires the expansion of railway infrastructure network. Therefore, ERC has been working to raise its coverage from 15% to 40% by increasing efficiency as well as upgrading railway infrastructures, he stated.
Furthermore, the ERC is exerting efforts to mobilize finance to finalize the construction of Awash-Woldia-Hara Gebeya and Hara Gebeya-Mekelle Railway Projects.
So far, there are no local companies that develop railways in Ethiopia. As a result, the ERC has been planning to develop railway infrastructure by itself. For this purpose, it has around 400 to 500 well trained railway engineers.
This would enable them to develop or construct railway infrastructure locally by ourselves. “Once we develop knowledge and expertise, we will develop railways across Africa,” Getu noted.
ERC’s New Business Development Department, Manager Shewangizaw Kifle said that the country has been costing high logistics expenditure due to lack of logistics modernization.
To overcome the situation, he expressed that the country has been trying to start new replica of logistics projects like the Endode Logistics Port project and others that facilitate logistics.
According to him, a feasibility study is finalized to commence the Endode railway project that designed to reduce logistics costs and support the supply chain in the sphere.
The ERC is eying to make a modal shift from truck to railway especially in import-export trade. Increasing the fright volume would automatically support the effort, but it requires policy measures and expanding infrastructure, he underscored.
TSEGAYE TILAHUN
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 18 DECEMBER 2024
