International Railroad Discussion > Rail service in Djibouti

Djibouti on the NE coast of Africa attracts all manner of interest. In this case Chinese interests will be bankrolling a line to Addis Abab, Ethiopia. There is some abandoned narrow gauge trackage in the port city of Djibouti but I also found a number of std. gauge flat cars and oil tankers plopped down in a field near the port. Don't know any further details than what a local 3PL manager told me. For good measure not too far away I saw the MSC Captain Steven Bennett. (Awarded  the CMH for actions in Vietnam as an OV-10 pilot) Anyone smart on railroads in east Africa?

---

---

---

Look on Google Earth, latest image for Djibouti city is 03/03/2015

Rail-head for the Chinese SG line starts around 3km south of the western end of the airport runway

The scar of their new right of way roughly parallels the NG line http://news.yahoo.com/africa-tracks-construction-key-djibouti-ethiopia-rail-line-033632871.html

There is a second SG link from Awash on this line to Woldia. http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/awash-woldia-hara-gebeya-railway-line-project/

It is the intention to drop a line from Woldia to a new port at Tadjurah on the northern side of the Gulf of Tadjoura, giving Ethiopia 2 maritime outlets, connected by their own railways

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/addis-abeba-djibouti-electric-locomotives-ordered.html?sword_list=ethiopia&no_cache=1
http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news/africa/single-view/view/foundation-stone-laid-for-northern-ethiopia-line.html?sword_list=ethiopia&no_cache=1

Construction locos

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/locomotives-reach-ethiopia-by-road.html
http://www.raillynews.com/2014/steder-group-djibouti-gets-heavy-locomotives-ethiopia/
http://ufofreight.com/news/view/tab-tra-ethiopia-handle-national-railway-project