2015: The Formal Introduction of a Pioneering Light Rail System in Ethiopia’s Capital and Largest City

September 20, 2015

Operations began for the first line of a light rail system in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital and largest city. The Addis Ababa Light Rail was officially inaugurated by Hailemariam Desalegn, who served as prime minister of Ethiopia from 2012 to 2018.

In an article appearing in the Ethiopian Herald a couple of days later, Eden Sahle reported that the new system “made history [in] joining the few African capitals with urban train facilities.” The Addis Ababa Light Rail, as a matter of fact, became the first system of its kind in both Sub-Saharan Africa and the eastern region of the continent.

The second of the Addis Ababa Light Rail’s two lines was opened on November 9 of that same year. Both of the system’s lines combined encompass 39 stations altogether and a total length of 19.6 miles (31.6 kilometers).

Photo Credit: Pegel05 (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)

For more information on the Addis Ababa Light Rail, please check out https://www.urbanrail.net/af/addis-ababa/addis-ababa.htm