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China hands a lifeline to Ethiopian capital’s crumbling light rail

  • With more than half of its rolling stock out of action, Addis Ababa’s affordable transport system is in desperate need of spare parts
  • Beijing has agreed to help but observers say the problems go deeper and are shared by other Chinese-financed railways in Africa

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Illustration: Henry Wong
China has come to the rescue of the Chinese-built Addis Ababa light rail transport service, agreeing to provide spare parts worth 155 million yuan (US$23 million) for the struggling network’s rolling stock.
The deal – which covers 573 types of spare parts for the Ethiopian capital’s electrified tram network – was signed on Tuesday by Ethiopia’s Finance Minister Ahmed Shide and the Chinese ambassador Zhao Zhiyuan.

The help is in accordance with the economic and technical cooperation agreement signed by China and Ethiopia two years ago, according to the Ethiopian finance ministry.

The lack of spare parts has left 23 of the light rail’s 40 trams inoperable. At the same time, low ticket prices, overcrowded and limited services, along with electricity issues, have made it difficult to generate enough income to cover operational costs.

Ethiopia’s railway officials admitted last month that years of inadequate maintenance have left half of the network’s rolling stock unusable, amid growing criticism from the West that China has funded and built “white elephants” in Africa.

In late January, the head of the Addis Ababa transport bureau Mitku Asmare told Ethiopia-based news publication The Reporter that the light rail, which has been operating since November 2015, would need about US$60 million for repairs.

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