ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Railways Corp and Italian company COIPA Italia have signed a framework agreement for strategic co-operation to modernise the country’s railways and support the revival of the Awash – Kombolcha railway project.
The agreement signed in Addis Ababa on September 10 includes the adoption of European safety, quality and efficiency standards, knowledge transfer and training programmes to build local skills, repowering locomotives, integrating digital systems and predictive diagnostics and expanding regional co-operation to position Ethiopia as a transport hub for east and central Africa.
Awash – Hara Gebeya project
COIPA Italia said it would also support the ’revitalisation’ of the 270 km Awash – Kombolcha section of the Awash – Hara Gebeya railway. In 2012 ERC signed a US$1·7bn turnkey contract for Turkish firm Yapı Merkezi to build an electrified standard gauge line running 392 km north from Awash on the Djibouti – Addis Ababa line. Construction began in 2015, but work was halted by regional instability, and the infrastructure and equipment were damaged during the Tigray conflict.
This year ERC began seeking international partnerships to support the project’s revival.
Economic transformation and regional integration
ERC CEO Hilina Belachew said the agreement with COIPA Italia ‘represents a fundamental step toward strengthening Ethiopia’s railway infrastructure and integrating the best European engineering expertise’.
COIPA Italia is already involved in projects to develop Ethiopia’s rail infrastructure and logistics hubs. CEO Vito Favorito Sciamarella said ‘this partnership will deliver technology transfer, expertise and investment opportunities, while at the same time strengthening ERC’s institutional capacity. We are proud to make our experience available to support the sustainable growth of Ethiopia’s transport system, creating value for local communities and new development opportunities.’
Italian Ambassador Agostino Palese said the agreement ‘is not only a business partnership, but a symbol of Ethiopia-Italy friendship’, adding that modern, efficient and sustainable rail transport is ‘a key driver of economic transformation and regional integration’.
