On May 4th, the Ethiopian transport department awarded 34 Ethiopian youth train drivers their qualification certificate in the capital Addis Abba.As employees of the Ethiopia- Djibouti railway operation and maintenance project Company, these Ethiopian train drivers received a total of two and a half years of training, including an 8-month professional training in electric locomotive driving in China.
At the certificate award ceremony Mr.Liu Yu, Minister Counsellor of the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, said that training for local train drivers is an important part of the flagship project of the cooperation between the two countries, which will greatly enhance Ethiopia's economic prospects and help Ethiopia embark on the road to prosperity.The Ethiopian Minister of Transport Dagmavit Morges, encouraged the young train drivers to use their skills to serve the country and contribute to the improvement of the railway operation sector in Ethiopia.
Degan Gezu, an outstanding Ethiopian graduate , thanked the Chinese teachers for their careful guidance during the training and study period. He said, The 8-month training period in China has benefited us a lot, every single encounter and experience has enriched us all, and will forever remain in our memory”.
The Ethiopia- Djibouti railway is jointly constructed and operated by China Railway Second Bureau under China Railway and China Civil Engineering Group Co., Ltd. It is the first transnational electrified railway system in Africa and connects Ethiopia and Djibouti with a total distance of 752.7 kilometers. Since becoming commercially operational in 2018, the Ethiopia- Djibouti railway operational effectiveness has been continuously improving. (Reporter Wu Ting)
