The Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC) says 50 percent of the Addis Abeba Light Railway project (LRT) has been completed, Fortune reported.

The construction of railway tracks for the 34.25 km of electric railway line which began in January 2012 is taking place in four directions across the city. Currently, over six km of railway tracks have been laid, telephone and electric lines, as well as water pipelines are also being laid side by side with the railway project, Abebe Mihretu, ERC's public relations head said in a press briefing held at the Council’s City Hall, on Thursday, January 20, 2014.

The estimated cost of the LRT project is US$ 475 million. The Ethiopian government will cover 15 percent of the cost of the project and the remaining amount is financed by the Export-Import Bank of China.

Upon its scheduled completion in 2015, the standard 1.435m size double track LRT could transport up to 80,000 passengers an hour.

Source: Fortune