Editing Transport in Ethiopia (section)

== Railways ==
{{main|Rail transport in Ethiopia}}
[[File:Ethiopian Railways.png|thumb|upright=1.2|Current railways in Ethiopia:{{legend-line|red solid 4px|[[Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway|Addis Ababa–Djibouti]]}}{{legend-line|yellow solid 4px|[[Awash–Hara Gebeya Railway|Awash–Hara Gebeya]] [[Hara Gebeya–Mek'ele Railway|–Mek'ele]]}}]]
Ethiopia is building a [[standard gauge]] railway network, the [[National Railway Network of Ethiopia]], planned to consist of up to 6,000&nbsp;km of railways in a number of years. The railway network serves a strategic goal to allow Ethiopia a sustainable and stable [[economic development]]. By 2030, the Ethiopian government hopes to invest about $65 billion into its transportation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.trade.gov/market-intelligence/ethiopia-transport-sector|title=Ethiopia Transport Sector|date=30 June 2022 |agency=International Trade Administration|access-date=30 June 2022}}</ref> The railway network's primary purpose is then both to connect [[Landlocked country|landlocked]] [[Ethiopia]] to the [[World economy|world market]] by ensuring a seamless access to one or several [[sea port]]s for [[trade]] and for transporting most [[imports]] and [[exports]]. The [[rail transport]] of [[goods]] appears favorable – if compared to [[road transport]] – in terms of volume, costs, safety and speed of transportation for both imports and exports. The primary port for Ethiopia is the [[Port of Djibouti]] in [[Djibouti]]. More than 95% of Ethiopia's [[trade]] passes through Djibouti.<ref name="ap2016">{{cite news|last1=Meseret|first1=Elias|title=Ethiopia's new coastal rail link runs through restive region|url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/541fbd8c7bd041ecafeff0058ea25b97/ethiopias-new-coastal-rail-link-runs-through-restive-region|agency=Associated Press|date=5 October 2016|access-date=13 August 2017|archive-date=9 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009204153/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/541fbd8c7bd041ecafeff0058ea25b97/ethiopias-new-coastal-rail-link-runs-through-restive-region|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="signature1">{{cite news|last1=Maasho|first1=Aaron|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/ethiopia-railway-idUSL6E7NH07M20111217|work=Reuters|date=17 December 2011|title=Ethiopia signs Djibouti railway deal with China|quote=Ethiopia and Djibouti's economies are reliant on each other with about 70 percent of all trade through Djibouti's port coming from its land-locked neighbour.}}</ref>

The port of Djibouti is served by one international railway, the [[Railway electrification|electrified]] standard gauge 756&nbsp;km long [[Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway|Addis Ababa – Djibouti Railway]] (of which 656&nbsp;km run in Ethiopia). This railway has officially been opened in October 2016 but it is in trial service with no regular traffic in 2017. Once operational by the end of 2017 or in 2018, it will allow passenger transport and a travel time from Addis Ababa to [[Djibouti City]] in less than twelve hours with a designated speed of 120&nbsp;km/hour.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Ethiopia-Djibouti electric railway line opens|work = BBC News|date = 5 October 2016|url =  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-37562177|access-date = 2016-10-05}}</ref>

Another railway, the [[Awash–Hara Gebeya Railway|Awash – Hara Gebeya Railway]] will go into trial service over its first 270&nbsp;km in 2018. This second railway links Addis Ababa and the Addis Ababa – Djibouti Railway with the north of Ethiopia. Once operational over its first 270&nbsp;km, possibly 2018 or 2019, it will allow both freight and passenger transport. A train ride from Addis Ababa to the twin cities of [[Kombolcha]] and [[Dessie]] will be possible in around six hours with a designated speed of 120&nbsp;km/hour.<ref name="AKH">{{cite web|url=http://akhrailway.com/index.php/about-project/project-summary|title=Project Summary|date=January 2017|publisher=AKH Project owners|access-date=13 August 2017|archive-date=2 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802170326/http://akhrailway.com/index.php/about-project/project-summary|url-status=dead}}</ref>