The Ethiopian Railway Corporation announced that it has planned to purchase additional railway vehilces in order to improve the Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit System (LRT) during this budget year.
Chief Officer of the Communication service with the Corporation, Dereje Tefera, told WMC that the corporation has requested budget from the government to purchase 22 to 36 railway vehicles.
According to Dereje, the corporation has undertaken preparations to import more of them in order to meet the ever increasing public demand for Addis Rail Transit service.
The Corporation plans to purchase and import those similar to the existing ones from Chinese Company called Semar, Dereje indicated.
Dereje noted that Corporation is undertaking feasibility studies to commence the construction of second phase of Addis Rail transit system (ART), which is compatible to the new master plan of Addis Ababa city, he underscored.
So far, the escalator of the Light railway is not operational and has become a source of public complain, Dereje stated. The Corporation is working with the Shenzen Metro and CREC companies that have taken three years of contractual agreement to handle the management and maintenance of the Addis transit railway system respectively, he reiterated.
The Ethiopian Railway Corporation has a long term plan to build shops, moles and different service providing organizations in order to increase its income, he indicated.
The Addis Ababa Light Railway system ( ALRT) has begun its service before two years and has now become capable to effectively substitute Chinese train masters and technicians with Ethiopians.