Departure Lounge

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In our series, " letters from African journalists, Ismail Einashe writes about his failed attempt to train in Ethiopia , despite The Hype of a new Chinese-built railway.

In the capital of Ethiopia , Addis Ababa , it is hard to miss the large billboards along the traffic-clogged streets, the promise of "new track, new Life ".

The signs are available for $4. 5 billion (£3. 6bn) of Chinese-built-Addis-Djibouti standard gauge railway (SGR) connecting the landlocked country of Ethiopia , 100 million people with tiny Djibouti on the Red Sea .

The 750-kilometre (465 km) railway line began in January, 2018 and Africa is first electrified cross-border railway.

trains hit camels

Ethiopia is More Than just a railway project, it is The Crown jewel in the development's ambitions in Africa, the fastest-growing economy to achieve the aims with middle-income status by the mid-2020s.

China has difficulties to be a major investor in Ethiopia

But since the SGR was opened, it has experienced financial and operational.

In January, the trains were stopped for a while over security concerns in the Afar region, after anti-government protests and ethnic conflicts between Somalis and Afars.

And last year, a halt was caused, the trains collide with camels, to challenge the pastors, the government will compensate for the loss of your precious animals.

visit to the former French-built Station .

But since then, I have heard, the SGR had opened in Ethiopia , I was desperate to take The Train , which departs every day at 0800 local time.

I had planned to travel from Addis Ababa to Dire Dawa, a town in Ethiopia , I had not seen in over 25 years.

A new Railway Station built and opened with China's assistance, in Addis Ababa in 2016

But my joy soon turned to frustration when I realized how difficult it would be to buy a Ticket in the neighboring Kenya, you go on the SGR website, buy your Ticket and pay over The Money to the mobile service "M-Pesa", But in Ethiopia things were a little more difficult.

I went to the SGR website, and Only found A Number for a Ticket office on the old French-built Addis Terminus in The Heart of The City .

I kept calling, But nobody picked up. In the end, I braved to go out in the pouring rain, the big old train Station .

Ethiopia 's rail network has been neglected for decades

as soon As it is proven, however, in search of The Ticket office also difficult. The Guards , confused, looked at my request.

When I did it, you will find it on The First floor, The Woman behind the wooden Desk seemed as confused by my request for a return-Ticket .

she told me to wait for her manager. He, in turn, said, you don't have the drive to sell cards, But if I wanted to, bus Tickets I could buy.

If it was The Train that I really wanted to, he said I should go to the new Chinese-built Station outside of Addis Ababa , and buy my Ticket .

Ismail EinasheThe building that looked like it had been parachute directly from China and Ethiopia , was totally Deserted . Ismail Einashe
Journalist

The manager assured me that the SGR was working, But I was advised to arrive early in the morning from 06:30 PM.

I felt reassured, until the next Problem - this is the location of the new Station .

It is not as easy as you can imagine, first of all, The Station is on Google Maps and the locals seemed clueless. to fly

Forced

finally found a Hotel receptionist, me, a Taxi Driver in the know, who said it was a 90-minute drive and will cost you 18 dollars, almost as expensive as The Train Ticket .

So we went on a cold, wet, dark Tuesday 05:00.

We drove past the changing landscape of the Bole district in Addis Ababa , where I used To Live - But it is now quite different: full of huge, newly-built hotels and shopping centres.

We drove on a newly built road for several kilometers in front of the large Furi-Labu train Station appeared out of Nowhere .

The new Station will be building a source of pride for the Ethiopians

that looked like it had been parachute directly from China and Ethiopia , was completely empty of people - Only one soldier stood guard, with a couple of Chinese workers.

It felt scary, As If abandoned. I went down the huge concrete steps, and said to the soldiers, told me that The Station had been closed for at least "Two Weeks ", so there were technical problems with the track in the vicinity of Dire Dawa.

There would be no trains in the morning.

I returned to The Hotel - again with a sludge - like rain covered after the deluge- there's no choice But to fly.

But The Internet was down - not an unusual situation in Ethiopia these Days - so I had to book my flight by phone.

And by the time that I should have, was the arrival in Dire Dawa, the new Station on 15. 50 on this day I was in the waiting hall in Addis Ababa airport, my gate waiting to be announced.

More letters from Africa

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Source of news: bbc.com