ADDIS ABABA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese-built Ethiopia-Djibouti standard gauge railway has operated over 1,800 passenger trains with nearly 530,900 passengers during its five and half years of operation, according to the Ethiopian Minister of Transport and Logistics.

The 752.7-km railway, also known as the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway, is a landmark railway line connecting Ethiopia and Djibouti and a flagship project under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

"The Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway is not only a transportation line, but also an economic corridor and a road to prosperity. It has opened up a railroad corridor to the sea for Ethiopia, effectively driving the development of industrialization and urbanization along the route," said Alemu Sime, Ethiopian Minister of Transport and Logistics.

The electrified railway has cut the transportation time for freight goods from more than three days to less than 20 hours, and reduced the cost by at least one-third, helping the landlocked country access maritime trade ports.

It has helped Ethiopia, a land-locked country in the Horn of Africa, access international maritime trade through ports in neighboring countries.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service

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