Railway infrastructure is becoming one of the fundamental parts of the economic infrastructure in Ethiopia. According to the Second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II) Midterm Review Report the Railway sector is given a high priority as it enhances transportation service by enabling mass transportation of people and bulk commodities. Interconnecting Ethiopia with the region and expanding continental trade relation is the major role of the ongoing railway infrastructure development.
Regarding the international railway projects, the Addis Ababa/ Sebeta-Mekele-Dewelle project has been completed and is expected to start operation in the fiscal year 2017/18. The Awash-Woldia/Hara Gebeya and Woldia/Hara GebeyaMekele railway projects were targeted to be completed 87.56 percent and 76.94 percent, respectively by the end of the fiscal year 2016/17 but were only completed 59 percent and 46 percent, respectively. During the past two years, implementation of the KombolchaWoldia/Hara Gebeya-Mekele project was slowed down by the delay in the second round of financing as well as by problems related to compensation issues.
The Railway Corporation was closely working with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation to obtain additional sources of financing for the project. In addition, the corporation was in discussion with the pertinent regional governments to address the problems related to compensation along the path of the railway line.
The Addis Ababa Light Railway Project was completed and put into operation in the fiscal year 2015/16. For the fiscal year 2016/17 its major operational targets were to transport 540.6 million passangers and collect Birr 169 million in fare revenue. In terms of actual performance it transported 280 million passangers which amounted to 52 percent of the target, and collected total fare revenue of Birr 110.4 million (65 percent of the target).
High fluctuation of electric power supply, shortage of spare parts, inadequate control of passenger tickets during rush hours, lack of overhauling facility to repair the engineering system of the trains, mal-functioning of cable systems and frequent break downs were the main factors that contributed to the under performance of the planned targets. But, the expansion of railway infrastructure is contributing its part in catalyzing the on-going socioeconomic progress in Ethiopia while catching up with cutting-edge railway technological know-how is central to this effort.
Ethiopia announced the construction of Addis Ababa Light Railway Transit (AALRT) project in 2011. It took only four solid years for residents of Addis to see the metro project coming to completion—that was in on 20 September 2015. Currently, AALRT transports huge number of residents from one corner of the city to the other within few minutes. Literally, the east-west and north-south travels which used to take several hours due to traffic congestion have been limited to less than an hour—with its capacity of transporting an average of 350,000 travelers a day and more than 31 million travelers annually. Passengers of the AALRT witness that its role is significant in supporting their day to day activities.
Mesfin Anteneh is a teacher by profession. He lives at the southern tip of Addis, in Akaki Kaliti sub-city. Approached by The Ethiopian Herald, he says that before the commencement of AALRT, he had to leave his home before dawn. But even with that, it was hard to him to be early on his job. This reporter met him at Piazza at 7:00, and asked what time he starts in the morning these days. It took him only half an hour to get to Piazza, and he has more relaxing time in the morning. The information from Ethiopian Railway Corporation indicates that the light railway is not profitable even if it secures more than 110 million Birr annually.
The transport fare could have been that affordable if the company had targeted at profits. The nation aspires to become a leading home to electric power based railway network in Africa through interconnecting with neighboring countries as well. Such effort also manifests the country’s steadfast move toward green economic development, and its contributions in promoting regional integration. Beyond this, the country is not limited with expanding railway infrastructure.
It gives stress to enhance local railway engineers and operators. Accordingly, the country also laid a cornerstone to the construction of other railway infrastructure and searching for financial sources to launch the projects’ construction including Sebeta-Bedele, AmboJimma, Modjo-Hawassa and WoldiaWoreta-via Bahirdar to Sudan. These newly started projects will be finalized within forty two months.
Herald January 1/2019
BY TEWODROS KASSA
