Ethiopian Railways reports repairs on stalled Awash–Kombolcha line
The Ethiopian Railways Corporation has repaired about 70 kilometres of track and is preparing test runs, an infrastructure executive told The Reporter in a report published on October 10, 2026.
In short
- The Ethiopian Railways Corporation has repaired about 70 kilometres of track and is preparing test runs, an infrastructure executive told The Reporter in a report published on October 10, 2026.
The Ethiopian Railways Corporation is using its own staff and equipment to restore the stalled Awash–Kombolcha–Hara Gebeya railway, according to an October 10, 2026, report by The Reporter citing a senior corporation executive.
Seleshi Kassa, the corporation’s deputy chief executive for railway infrastructure, told the newspaper that workers had repaired about 70 kilometres of track and were preparing for test runs. The report did not give a date for those runs or say that commercial services had begun.
The corporation aims to finish the first phase as far as Kombolcha within two years before deciding how to proceed with the second phase, The Reporter said. The timetable remains a target rather than a confirmed opening date.
Restoration is proceeding while disputes with former contractor Yapı Merkezi remain in arbitration. The newspaper reported that outstanding payments and machinery left at the site are among the unresolved issues. No final arbitration award was available in the source material reviewed for this article.
The 392-kilometre project began construction in 2015 under a contract valued at $1.7 billion, according to the newspaper. It includes 12 tunnels and 52 bridges.
A complete estimate of restoration costs is still pending, The Reporter said. The reported track repairs mark progress toward reviving the corridor, but costs, remaining construction and the timing of operations remain unsettled.
