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Franco-Ethiopian
Railway from Addis Ababa
by
Jerry W. Bird
Sometimes I feel
like Casey Jones, as if "Railways of the World" a
series I launched in 1989, started a 'renaissance '
in rail travel. Perhaps it was ESP, because since
then, many famous routes have been upgraded or
restored, and new lines installed, as countless
visitors rediscover the romance of the rails. Like
me, these folks savor the fact that getting there
is more than half the
fun.
Given
Aladdin's 3 wishes, I would restore Emperor Haile
Sellasie's 'Lion of Judah' railway engine, hook it
up to the prized set of French and British coaches,
and operate luxury excursion tours on the
Franco-Ethiopian Railway line.
 Built
in the 1930s, the 482 mile route stretches from
Addis Ababa, via Nazaret, the Rift Valley and Dire
Dawa, to Djibouti, a French protectorate on the
Gulf of Aden. Photo of Haile Selassie's Lion of
Judah engiine (below) by Muguette Goufrani. In a
5-minute BBC interview, hoping my message would
cause a spark, I said, "Think of the much needed
income such a tour would generate for the Ethiopian
economy." I've followed the last decade's amazing
railway renaissance.
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.
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