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Franco - Ethiopian Railway from Addis Ababa to Djibouti on the Horn of Africa
by Jerry W. Bird

Given Aladdin's 3 wishes I would: (1) Restore Emperor Haile Sellasie's original 'Lion of Judah' railway engine that's standing all alone in the train yard. (2) Hook it up to the Emperor's prized set of antique French and British crafted coaches, and (3) Operate a twice daily luxury tour on the Franco-Ethiopian Railway. Built in the 1930s, the 482 mile line stretches from Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, via Nazaret, Rift Valley and Dire Dawa, to Djibouti, a French protectorate on the Gulf of Aden. In a 10 -minute BBC interview at the Gare (Railway Station) I commented, "Think of the much needed income such a packaged tour would generate for the Ethiopian economy.

Sometimes I feel like Casey Jones, as if the popular series "Railways of the World," I concepted, researched and launched in 1989, actually caused the 'renaissance' in rail travel. Its link to the booming cruise industry, was another powerful economic engine. Some may have called it ESP, because since that time, many famous railway routes have been restored and new 'combo' packages created, as visitors rediscover the romance of the rails. Like me, these active seniors know that getting there is more than half the fun; a topic I've written about with gusto in a variety of trade and consumer publications.

After a visit to Emperor Selassie's palace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, Addis Ababa's ornate railway station (gare) is the ideal venue for such an historic journey. Yes, the lordly Lion of Judah's engine lacks wheels, and the dust covered coaches shows neglect from being shunted aside during the Marxist regime. However, with some good old fashioned TLC (tender loving care) each museum piece would soon be in shining order. The Emperor's train is still not widely available for public view; fortunately we and our BBC friend received special permission.

More railways stories: http://www.airhighways.com/adventure_rails.htm,
E-mail: airhwy@dowco.com

Watch for a Focus on Ethiopia Trade and Tourism
in the October 2004 edition of Africa Travel Magazine.