Turkey to be guide to Ethiopian railways

ANKARA- Anatolia News Agency

Turkey has agreed to assist Ethiopia to restructure its rails, train its staff and engage in know-how transfer.

The Turkish State Railways (TCDD) has agreed to assist Ethiopia to restructure its railways, train its staff and engage in technology transfer.

Ethiopia, which halted railway transportation in 1997, has asked for assistance from TCDD via the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TİKA) in order to reactivate its railways between the capital Addis Ababa and Djibouti.

TCDD will actively participate in restructuring the railways of the country and take part in the transfer of training and technology of workers.

Turkish experts visit Ethiopia

In a meeting held at TİKA’s office in Ethiopia, cooperation in a number of basic topics was decided on between TCDD and Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC). According to the agreement, TCDD will prepare operational regulations, help in ERC’s structuring and give technical support in railway building, supervision, observation, projects and agreement, give training to the personnel and build capacity for human resources, give technical support in transfer of technology and share knowledge and experience in the administration of immovables.

Ethiopian officials wanted their railways to be restructured and the railway connecting capital Addis Ababa to Djibouti to came into operation. TCDD sent a committee of experts to Ethiopia in April upon the request of ERC, where a report was prepared and presented to ERC officials, stating that Ethiopian railway management did not have enough experience.

The Ethiopian railway officials will be in Turkey between June 10 and 14, where they will visit the high-speed train lines of Marmaray project, which is planned to finalize by October 29,this year, among others.