A century on, French-built train in Ethiopia still serving its purpose

Passengers standing on the roof of the old train before it leaves from the railway in Shinile. Photos: Amanuel Sileshi/AFP

The train pulled out of Dire Dawa station with a creak and disappeared into the pre-dawn gloom, the lights that once illuminated its decades-old carriages having stopped working long ago.

Over a century after the French laid a railroad in eastern Ethiopia, the old track remains indispensable for trade and transport, even with the recent arrival of a modern, Chinese-built line.