Ethiopia

Market Overview

Ethiopia has emerged as a significant African rail market following the completion of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway, a 756-km electrified standard gauge line built by Chinese contractors and financed by China Exim Bank. The line opened in stages between 2016 and 2018, giving landlocked Ethiopia direct rail access to the sea. Addis Ababa also operates a city light rail transit (LRT) system, the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, built with Chinese support. The government has outlined plans for further domestic rail corridors to connect major regional cities. Ethiopia's rail ambitions are linked to broader industrialisation goals, with rail seen as essential for connecting manufacturing zones to export routes.