The Bishoftu-based facility is spread over 62 hectares and is envisioned as the backbone of Ethiopia’s long-term strategy to build a fully localized and technically skilled workforce capable of operating, maintaining and expanding one of the continent’s most ambitious railway networks. ERC officials say the center will be completed within three years.
ERC Chief Executive Officer Hlina Belachew said the project is a vital investment in the country’s human capital.
He noted that Ethiopia has reached a tipping point and expansion of railway infrastructure must be matched by an equal growth in domestic technological capabilities. Her focus on reducing dependence on foreign technicians is consistent with broader national policy.
According to the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Dr. Alem Sime, the Railway Academy will provide efficient transport services by establishing modern railway infrastructure that connects the country’s major development centers with all neighboring countries.
Ethiopia’s heavy reliance on foreign expertise has long led to high operating costs and slowed localization.
The new facility is expected to significantly reduce training-related expenses while stimulating commercial activity in Bishoftu and surrounding cities.
Ethiopia’s path to railway modernization has progressed rapidly in recent years, particularly along the Ethiopia-Djibouti Corridor. The Chinese contractor told Bull Metrics that more than 2,840 Ethiopians have already been trained and certified in operation, maintenance and safety management.
By early 2024, the number of local staff working within the rail ecosystem will exceed 3,000, with roles ranging from conductors, locomotive engineers, electricians, and mid-senior level managers.
The handing over of operations and maintenance to an Ethiopian company in May provided one of the clearest signs yet that localization is no longer an aspiration, but is actively taking shape.
Ethiopia’s growing prominence as Africa’s economic and railway powerhouse
The opening of the training center also strengthens Ethiopia’s growing position as one of Africa’s most resilient economies.
Despite a period of political and macroeconomic turmoil, the country has continued to actively invest in large-scale transport infrastructure, establishing itself as the logistics hub of the Horn of Africa.
The railway sector in particular is central to Ethiopia’s ambitions to expand its economic influence deep into the region, while providing more efficient trade routes for neighboring landlocked countries.
In early June, the United Arab Emirates signed a landmark $3 billion deal to build a railway linking Somaliland’s Berbera port directly to Ethiopia.
By consolidating domestic expertise and reducing operational dependence on external partners, Ethiopia has shown that it intends not only to operate a modern railway, but also to become the region’s leading authority in railway engineering, management and technology.
The new training facility represents a symbolic and practical step towards that goal and could change the balance of transportation leadership in East Africa for years to come.
