Addis Ababa tram spares challenge resolved

 

Ethiopia’s Finance Minister Ahmed Shide and Chinese ambassador Zhao Zhiyuan have signed a deal to supply spares worth CNY155m (EUR21m) for the fleet of CRRC Changchun LRVs operating in the capital Addis Ababa. The new deal was reached under principles established in a 2021 intergovernmental co-operation agreement. 

 

In January, the head of the Addis Ababa Transport Bureau said that USD60m was needed to restore full service as only 18 of the 41 70% low-floor trams supplied for the September 2015 opening were operational due to a lack of parts. Around 56 000 passengers/day are currently being carried, compared with 153 000/day a year after opening. 

 

Funding for the 31.6km (19.6-mile) two-line light rail system was provided by China’s Exim Bank in the form of a USD475m loan. Construction of the 19.6km (12.2-mile) north-south line between Minelik II Square and Kality and the 17.4km (10.8-mile) east-west line between Tor Hailoch and Ayat were undertaken by the China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Company. The two lines share a 2.7km (1.7-mile) section with five stops between Lideta and Stadium. 

 

According to local sources, the LRT system’s operations cost EUR144m over its first four years, generating just over EUR10m in revenue. The city has stepped in with ETB1bn/year (EUR17.5m/year) in operational subsidies and loan repayments to cover the lack of fare revenue, with administration recently being transferred to the Addis Ababa Transport Bureau.