ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopia has the capacity to build a self-sufficient railway system that will restore national pride, accelerate industrialization, and contribute to Africa's long-term vision of continental rail connectivity, Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh said on Friday.
During his visit to the historic Dire Dawa Railway Station, Temesgen emphasized that Ethiopia was among the first countries in Africa to introduce modern rail transport. However, decades of policy reversals and a lack of consistent vision left the sector lagging behind.
"This most valuable national resource is being revived under a new vision. Our railway is beginning to shake off the dust of neglect," he stressed.
He explained that transportation services, workshops, and repair facilities are now back in operation, guided by the principle of uncovering hidden resources and transforming setbacks into opportunities.
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The Dire Dawa-Dewele line, administered by the Dire Dawa City Administration, has resumed operations with trains running twice a week.
It is already generating profit by reviving long-idle locomotives and reintegrating skilled workers who had been inactive for years, becoming a model of self-sustainability that supports local employment, mobility, and cross-border trade.
The deputy premier underlined that Ethiopia's Ten-Year Development Plan places rail transport at the heart of economic transformation.
Efficient and modern railways are expected to reduce costs, enhance competitiveness, and support the growth of manufacturing and agriculture by connecting industrial parks and farms to export corridors.
He pointed out that the Addis Ababa- Djibouti standard-gauge railway has already shown the potential of rail in boosting trade, and that expansion projects westward toward Sudan and southward to Kenya will place Ethiopia at the center of the African Union's ambition for a Trans-African Railway network.
"Railways are not just steel tracks. They are pathways to national pride, industrialization, and African unity," Temesgen remarked. "With determination and unity, we can build a self-sufficient railway system, one that not only restores national pride but also contributes to the greater vision of connecting Africa by rail."
He noted that Ethiopia's railway revival also aligns with the African Continental Free Trade Area, which depends on reliable transport and logistics to unlock Africa's trade potential.
The federal government, he added, has pledged continued support to strengthen railway operations while also seeking to mobilize investment from private partners and development institutions.
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BY NAOL GIRMA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 AUGUST 2025
