Railway stations in Ethiopia explained

Current railway stations in Ethiopia are served by standard gauge railways of the National Railway Network of Ethiopia which is mostly under construction, except the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway. Other stations were built for the in 2018 still operating metre gauge Ethio-Djibouti Railways, although this railway has officially been superseded by the new Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway.

The following list contains dedicated railway stations with at least a single platform for passengers to enter or to leave trains. Train stops on open stretches without platform can outnumber train stops in railway stations by a 2:1 margin, but the former are not included in the lists. The railways usually also have a number of freight yards and dry ports for freight handling, but these are not counted as well.

Standard gauge railways

Description of railway stations

Railway stations mostly have a single platform for passengers to enter or to leave trains. These platforms allow access without having the need to use stairs. Some have two platforms connected through a footbridge above the overhead catenary system. The platforms are roofed to protect passengers against sun, wind and rain. Railway stations for passenger trains always have a station building directly attached to the back of the principal platform. Consequently, all railway stations with a single platform have space for only one platform line and do not allow the presence of more than one train at the platform at the same time. In contrast, railway stations with two platforms have the space for two or three platform lines. All platforms are around 330 meters long.

The station buildings are used for ticketing and for refreshments and contain waiting rooms and even rooms for prayers. They have media available (at least electricity, water). The outer appearance of station buildings of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway shows some sort of architectural eclecticism including Ethiopian elements with some Chinese interpretation and rounded elements. The railway station buildings on the Awash–Hara Gebeya Railway are rather functional and rectangular.

The stations on the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway were built in 2015 and 2016, the stations on the Awash–Hara Gebeya Railway were built in 2017 and 2018 for the section between Awash and Kombolcha. For the sections between Kombolcha and Hara Gebeya and between Hara Gebeya and Mek'ele, all stations are planned. No clear date for building them is known.

In the following, most stations are coined [sic] closed, these do exist but there is no use by passengers yet (train stations would be operational but there are no scheduled passenger services yet). Some stations are called U/C, meaning under construction, others are planned and do not exist up to now. In total, there are 36 railway stations (existing, under construction and planned).

List of railway stations

Passenger railway stations

The stations below are passenger railway stations on operational railways and on railways currently under construction. Some of them are "open" (means, they see passengers), some of them are "closed" (means they are ready for service but not in use for the moment.

Other railway stations are under construction ("U/C") or are "planned" (while the railway is under construction already).

Station Railway Platforms platform
length [m]
Status ImageRemarks
Adama1400openalso freight
Addis Ababa – Indode1closedmainly freight
Addis Ababa – Furi-Labu2400 + 400openAddis Ababa Main Station
Adi Gudem1planned-Adigala1closed
Alamata1planned
Amibara1U/C
Awash3U/CJunction of two lines
also freight
-Aysha1closed-->
Bike1200closedalso freight
Bishoftu1200closed
Dewale2300 + 300closedalso freight;
platforms separated
by 1 km down the line
Dirē Dawa1400openalso freight
Feto1200closed
Hara Gebeya1plannedfuture junction-Arawa1closed-->
Hayk2planned
Karakore1U/C
Kobo1planned
Kombolcha2U/C
Megale1planned
Mehoni1planned
Mek'ele Airport1planned
Mekoy1U/C
Mersa1planned
Metehara1200closed
Mieso1200closed
Modjo1300closedfreight for Modjo Dry Port
Sebeta1200closed
Sembeta1U/C
Shewa Robit2U/C

Railways in planning stage

The railway stations provided below are for planned railways. As these railways are in planning stage, the stations and station names are very preliminary and subject to change.

Station Railway Platforms Status ImageRemarks
Axum1Planned
Shire2Planned
Hara Gebeya1PlannedJunction
Wereta1PlannedFuture junction
1Planned
  • Finobe Selam
1PlannedFuture branch terminus
Azezo1Planned
Aykal1Planned
Genda Wuha1Planned
Metema1 ?Plannednear Sudan border
Hara Gebeya2PlannedJunction future
North-Eastern Line
Semera1Planned
Dichoto1Planned
Elidar1PlannedET-DJ Border
Tadjoura1 ?PlannedPort in northern Djibouti.
Sebeta1PlannedPlanned Junction
Western Line
Ambo1Planned
Ejaji1PlannedFuture Junction South-western line
Nekemte1Planned
Nejo1Planned
Asosa1Planned
Kurmuk1 ?PlannedNear Sudan Border
Ejaji 1 ?PlannedFuture junction
South-Western line
Seka1Planned
Jimma1PlannedIntermediate junction
1PlannedIntermediate terminus
Tepi1Planned
Dima1 ?PlannedNear South Sudan Border
Boma, South Sudan1 ?PlannedAcross South Sudan border
Modjo1 ?PlannedFuture Junction
Southern line
1Planned
Shashemene 1PlannedIntermediate Junction
1PlannedIntermediate Terminus
1Planned
1Planned
1PlannedIntermediate Junction
1PlannedIntermediate Terminus
1Planned
1Planned
1Planned
Moyale1 ?PlannedNear Kenya Border
Adama1 ?PlannedFuture junction
SouthEastern line
Keya1 ?PlannedFuture intermediate junction
1 ?PlannedFuture intermediate terminus
1Planned
1 ?Planned
1 ?Planned
1 ?PlannedFuture terminus
Desert separates Somalia

Metre gauge railway

The metre gauge Ethio-Djibouti Railway was built between 1898-1917. Railway station buildings were built in part later, in part never. Only the two main cities along the line (Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa) saw bigger and dedicated station buildings with platforms. Most railway stations were composed of very simple single-room buildings, sometimes open without walls, sometimes closed, sometimes like goats sheds. No platforms.

Three types of railway stations exist: open, abandoned and defunct. The latter still exist while the status of abandoned railway stations is uncertain. Maybe they were totally demolished, maybe not. There are also some open railway stations, as the metre gauge railway still operates in 2018 with passenger services.

Main stations

Station built Status Image
1902 / 1910open -
Addis Ababa1917 / 1929defunct -

Other stations

Station built Status Image
open
open
open
open
open
open
open
open
open
abandoned
Bishoftuabandoned
abandoned
Adamaabandoned
abandoned
abandoned
abandoned
abandoned
abandoned
abandoned
abandoned
abandoned
defunct
defunct
defunct
defunct
defunct
defunct
defunct

See also

External links