Prime Minister Hailemariam on Wednesday (February 18) laid the foundation for the Mekelle-Hara Gebeya-Woldia railway project, which is expected link the North and North East of the country to the new port of Tadjourah port being constructed in Djibouti.
The 220km electrified railway will be constructed by the China Communication Company with the cost of USD 1.5 billion. Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Hailemariam, saying that the railway, which will span to the southeast as far as Tadjourah in Djibouti, will intensify the progress towards the integration of Horn of Africa region, noted that “The project is very significant both socially and economically.”
The launching ceremony for the railway coincided with the marking of the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, and among those attending was President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud of Somalia.