The government of Djibouti and the government of Ethiopia reported that the railway between the two countries – from Addis Ababa to the port of Djibouti city – recorded US$ 86.13 million in revenue in 2021, an increase of 37.5% compared to 2020. The line was used by 449 passenger trains and 1469 freight trains during the year, carrying 77,357 TEUs.
The company also reported improved efficiency of operations, with the processing time of a freight train at the port of Doraleh in Djibouti reduced from three days to one and a half days, while the loading and unloading time at the dry port of Modjo was reduced from 12 to seven hours.
Safety has improved with no accidents recorded in 2021. The Somali region of Ethiopia, the largest region through which the Yaji Railway passes, also implemented the Railway Safety Protection Regulation on August 25, 2021.
The railway has transported 96 special fertilizer trains and 13 special grain trains to Ethiopia, with the line targeting new markets such as cooking oil, small cars, and refrigerated fruits and vegetables.
To improve the location of operations, 34 Ethiopian train drivers received their certificates on May 4, 2021, followed by 15 diverters on July 29.
The 752-kilometer electrified line was inaugurated in October 2016, with the $3.4 billion project 70% funded by China’s Exim Bank and built by China Railway Group and China Civil Engineering Construction.
Finally, the government of Djibouti has announced its intention to conduct its third General Population and Housing Census (RGPH), according to a report by the Djiboutian news agency ADI.
To prepare the necessary organizational measures, a meeting was called under the chairmanship of the Minister of Finance and Economy in charge of industry, Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, in the presence of Djibouti’s head of diplomacy, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and the director of the National Statistical Institute, Idriss Ali Souldan, in addition to the representative of the United Nations Population Fund. The main objective of the meeting is to ensure the collection of funds needed to conduct the census.
