Expanding railway infrastructure network is a crucial element while thinking economic and all-rounded social, economic progress.
Prioritizing putting in place modern transport system means ensuring communication accessibility, accelerating the country’s renaissance journey and boosting Ethiopia’s global competitiveness. We need to facilitate and forecast what must be the country’s future communication networks.
In line with this, paying a particular attention to expanding transport infrastructures, especially railway lines will have a great importance in mobilizing huge amount of nation’s import and export commodities within a short period of time and less expenditure.
As train can transport a large amount of commodities and people interlard the central and facilitates the import and export of the country’s agricultural products, industrial and pharmaceutical products, food and beverages, live animals and among others, at once, focusing on railway infrastructure construction should be underlined. It weights much worth.
Ethiopia imports and exports its commodities and other products through Ethio-Djibouti railway line. Although the railway line instillation had been carried out some 119 years back, the network expansion has been restricted to a single route; Addis Ababa-Djibouti via a diesel fuel driven train. But it had been contributing and consolidating the economic, political and peoples’ relations of the two country’s governments since then.
Moreover, apart from facilitating, transporting nations’ import and export commodities, the railway had contributed for some of the establishment of the current small and big towns along the line. Today these towns have become business hubs and sources of citizens’ livelihood.
There is a call for recognizing, expanding the construction of railway infrastructure means ensuring sustainable development, reducing poverty and boosting global competitiveness, among others.
That is why the government has shown a strong commitment via expanding train transport in the country. Because, unless the country creates a modern transport system network, it is extremely unthinkable to ensure rapid economic development and fully address all rounded development target plans, sustainable global competitiveness as well. Presently, the nation is engaged in railway line construction and expansion in other parts of the country to speed up economic integration and train transport accessibility.
To this effect, recently the nation has inaugurated over 750-kms length railway line that fully function with electric power.
It is also the longest railway line in Africa too. It is the first of its kind in the continent. It links up the east African countries; Ethiopia and Djibouti. As it functions with electric power, it is fine-tuned with the country’s green economy strategy efforts as well.
Playing its role in accelerating the country’s manufacturing industry development, it will significantly strengthen and cement the two countries bilateral relations; cultural, economic and social relation bonds too.
Nowadays, Ethiopia engages in the construction of industrial parks, manufacturing industries and other economic development endeavors.
To realize its various ambitious development goals and achieve successes, train transport has been acknowledged as a winning formula towards prosperity and economical advantageous. Besides, it creates job opportunities to citizens. The line will be one of the country’s development catalysts as it helps ensure the country’s strive of becoming a middle income country by 2025.
Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway has the potential of linking rural and urban communities and further forging the historical nations’ relation thereby facilitating more economical ties. It steps up the two country’s’ cultural and economic integration.
Moreover, the historic link between the two countries has been revived and renewed and transformed into a new phase of relation.
The two countries have joined hands to build this railway and make it a new phase of prosperity and brotherhood. It is the manifestation of their economic and social integration. It portrays the countries’ abilities of working together and overcoming the barriers of economic development bottlenecks.
What is more, the opening of the railway line is a milestone in the development history of Ethiopia and Djibouti. It also strengthens cooperation and means of friendship in the 21st century and will create favorable conditions for investment opportunities and attract foreign Direct Foreign Investment.
In sum, the nation has shown rapid development and progress. During GTP II, Ethiopia has given due emphasis on railway infrastructure development. Railway infrastructure has been one of the major leaps in infrastructure development projects.
However, despite the concerted efforts made by the two governments in finalizing the construction of Addis-Djibouti standard gauge railway project, recurrent awareness creation work should be given to citizens who established their livelihoods along the line; as there are herders and traffic jams along the railway pathways.
Besides, customers need to know train service procedures and develop a sense of ownership and belonging. Because, the nation has invested huge amount of financial resources towards the noble task.
[www.ethpress.gov.et/herald/]