Chemin de Fer : Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
One of the most unusual and captivating places I visited in Ethiopia was the old railway station in Dire Dawa, home to the historic Chemin de Fer—the French-built railway that once connected the inland heart of Ethiopia to the port city of Djibouti. Constructed in the early 1900s, the Chemin de Fer Djibouti–Addis Ababa was more than just a railway; it was the lifeblood of trade and movement, threading its way through vast desert plains and rugged highlands to bring goods and people from the coast to the Ethiopian highlands.
On my journey to Harar, I made a deliberate stop in Dire Dawa to explore this piece of history. I had heard story of the old train station, and I knew I had to see it for myself. Stepping into the station was like stepping into a forgotten time. The iron rails, rusted but still intact, led into a yard filled with ancient locomotives, now frozen in place but once roaring through the land.
The machinery used to maintain these trains was equally extraordinary. Large gears, pulleys, and tools were relics of a bygone industrial age. Walking through the buildings I could almost hear the sounds of the station's bustling past—the steady clank of the trains being worked on, the hum of engines in motion, and the calls of workers, all pushing forward an era that now felt so distant. It was a fascinating glimpse into the mechanics of a time when steam was the future, powering not just engines, but economies and entire nations.
The French architecture of the station was still standing—faded but dignified. The old station house, with its arched doorways and crumbling signage, whispered tales of a time when the station was a vital artery of commerce and communication. Though the world around it had moved on, the Chemin de Fer remained as a testament to the incredible effort that had gone into connecting this vast, rugged land to the outside world.
As I wandered through the yard, I found myself reflecting on how much this railway had once meant to the people of this region. It wasn’t just about transportation—it was about connection, about the flow of goods, ideas, and people that made Dire Dawa a key center in East Africa’s history. But now, the station stands in solitude, its legacy fading into the quiet of the present day with dreams of a high speed Chinese train for the future.
It was a powerful moment to witness the passing of time in such a tangible way, to see the beauty of what once was, and to feel the ghosts of an era that had shaped the landscape around me. The Chemin de Fer of Dire Dawa may no longer be the lifeblood of the region, but it will always be a reminder of the people and history that once travelled its tracks.
