The Ethio-Djibouti Railway Standard Gauge Share Company (EDR) has officially entered Ethiopia’s competitive logistics sector after securing a Multimodal Transport Operation (MTO) license from the Ethiopian Maritime Authority (EMA).

This milestone positions EDR as the fifth entity in the industry, which was long dominated by Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics (ESL).

The government has been working to expand the MTO sector, aiming to enhance competition and efficiency. EDR’s inclusion follows a rigorous selection process that evaluated its infrastructure, workforce, and global trade network. “We have achieved our goal of expanding the multimodal transport sector,” said Fraol Tafa, Deputy Director General at EMA.

Mintesinot Yohannes, Global Logistics Director at EDR, expressed excitement about the company’s new role. EDR, a joint venture between Ethiopia and Djibouti, has reduced freight transit times, offering faster and more efficient transport services.

In a related development, EDR engineers have restored over 16 locomotives and 200 wagons that had been out of service for years. EDR CEO Takele Uma hailed this as a historic achievement, marking the first time Ethiopian engineers have independently repaired the fleet.

Source: Capital Ethiopia