The Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) - Djibouti Railway project is nearing completion and will begin operation in early 2016, a report said.

The railway project is expected to contribute significantly towards industrialisation and structural transformation of the region.

Chief executive officer of the Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC) Getachew Betru was quoted by Ethiopian Herald as saying that the project is 87 per cent complete on the Ethiopian side and work will finish in October. Construction of the railroad has reached 82 per cent in Djibouti.

The railway line passes through Bishoftu, Adama, Metahara and Dire Dawa and will have 17 major stations. The 100-km Sebeta-Adama line is a double track while the remaining 600-km stretch is a single track line.