ADDIS ABABA – Young local operator Ethiopians have successfully completed the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway operation training, so disclosed Ethiopia-Djibouti Standard Gauge Railway Share Company (EDR) and the Chinese joint venture which is currently managing the overall railway’s operations.
The young Ethiopian trainees had pursued both practical and theoretical railway technology operation trainings as they aspire to master train operations at the 752-km electrified railway connecting landlocked Ethiopia to the port of Djibouti.
Liu Yanqing, Dean of the International Education College of Beijing Jiaotong University, also said that the training benefits the trainees by arming them with the knowledge on maintenance, telecommunications and signaling as well as railway operations adding that the training was applied with a combination of classroom lectures and on-site coaching.
“This training course was well-prepared in advance, designed to meet the actual demand for the operation and management of this railway and arranged reasonably. As a consequence, the entire training course has achieved the anticipated purpose and has significant effects,” she said.
The training was organized by the Beijing Jiaotong University, with a focus on three types of essential works. These are permanent way maintenance, railway transportation organization, and railway signaling and telecommunications.
“The training provides an opportunity for overseas experts to share their thoughts and insights for the betterment of our local staff’s practical and theoretical understanding,” said Radia Soud Mohammed, Chief of HR Officer at the EDR.
“Building a modern railway is one thing, but operation and maintenance is quite another thing so that equipping local operators is an unquestionable thing. Hence, this is made possible,” she emphasized.
According to Radia, the electrified transnational railway’s technology-intensive nature has forced the two neighboring countries to enter into a management contract with the joint venture of Chinese companies to undertake the railway services for an initial period of six years.
The management contract, in addition to operating and maintaining the railway line to its attainable capacity, also expects the Chinese management joint venture to build the capacity of local Ethiopian and Djibouti
staff through training and on-job training to transfer technology and fundamental skills. It is working on it and has completed local operators training.
Liu Yu, Economic and Commercial Minister-Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, also said the training would help Ethiopians build their capacity that enables them to manage and operate such modern railway projects by themselves.
“This railway belongs to Ethiopia and the Ethiopian people. That means someday, it will be handed over to your country to be operated and managed by your people. So, capacity building is a must-to-achieve this goal,” the Economic and Commercial Minister-Counselor told the graduating local railway operators.
The Ethiopian Herald December 29/2019
BY MUSSA MUHAMMED AND MULATU BELACHEW
