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All aboard! The Chinese-funded railways linking East Africa
By Sophie Morlin-Yron, CNN
Updated 1118 GMT (1918 HKT) January 17, 2017
Story highlights
Some 750 kilometres (466 miles) long, the $4 billion line connects landlocked Ethiopia to the Red Sea coast in Djibouti.
Officially inaugurated last week after test runs kicked off in October, it is expected to cut the travel time between the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and the port in Djibouti from three days by road to 12 hours by rail.
Like a number of other planned lines it was partly funded and built by Chinese companies. It could soon link up with neighboring Sudan and Kenya -- where the first part of a new $13 billion Kenyan railway connecting Mombasa to Nairobi is taking shape.
The sprawling network is planned to continue into South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, as part of transnational efforts to connect countries within East Africa.
This could transform how goods and people move, and the increased number of lines is expected to boost trade in countries like Kenya, says Kuria Muchiru, advisory partner, East Africa, at PwC in Kenya.
"Because we probably have about 4,000 trucks everyday making the trip up from Mombasa into Nairobi, and some go farther on," adds Muchiru.
The ports are where the magic happens, with 90% of African imports and exports conducted by sea which can be an issue for trade coming into landlocked countries.
"The new lines will have access to the ports and be able to almost offload directly onto the train and then straight onto inland locations," Muchiru says.
Continued here: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/21/africa/chinese-funded-railways-in-africa/index.html
By Sophie Morlin-Yron, CNN
Updated 1118 GMT (1918 HKT) January 17, 2017
Story highlights
- New China-backed multi-billion-dollar railways are emerging in Africa
- African countries borrowed nearly $10bn for railways between 2000-2014
- A planned network will connect East Africa
Some 750 kilometres (466 miles) long, the $4 billion line connects landlocked Ethiopia to the Red Sea coast in Djibouti.
Officially inaugurated last week after test runs kicked off in October, it is expected to cut the travel time between the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and the port in Djibouti from three days by road to 12 hours by rail.
Like a number of other planned lines it was partly funded and built by Chinese companies. It could soon link up with neighboring Sudan and Kenya -- where the first part of a new $13 billion Kenyan railway connecting Mombasa to Nairobi is taking shape.
The sprawling network is planned to continue into South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, as part of transnational efforts to connect countries within East Africa.
This could transform how goods and people move, and the increased number of lines is expected to boost trade in countries like Kenya, says Kuria Muchiru, advisory partner, East Africa, at PwC in Kenya.
"Because we probably have about 4,000 trucks everyday making the trip up from Mombasa into Nairobi, and some go farther on," adds Muchiru.
The ports are where the magic happens, with 90% of African imports and exports conducted by sea which can be an issue for trade coming into landlocked countries.
"The new lines will have access to the ports and be able to almost offload directly onto the train and then straight onto inland locations," Muchiru says.
Continued here: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/21/africa/chinese-funded-railways-in-africa/index.html
, UK won't regret it
