Today it sits as a daily reminder of the broken promises of China-funded infrastructure investments that swept Africa in recent years. Frequent breakdowns, inadequate maintenance funding and operational constraints mean barely one-third of its 41 trains are operational, ferrying 55,000 passengers a day, a fraction of initial projections.

Once bustling and vibrant train stations now exude an air of desolation and neglect, contrasting sharply with the city’s urgent transportation needs for its almost 4 million residents. Inoperable trains are regularly parked at the railway’s garage, awaiting maintenance.

  • @randompasta
    link
    182 months ago

    Everyone also complains about their roads, so what’s your point?

      • @DdCno1@beehaw.org
        link
        fedilink
        272 months ago

        Yeah, no. Your point is whataboutism in order to deflect from an obvious failure. It’s the old hypernormalization approach that dictatorships and their defenders love to use. “If everything’s bad, then the countless problems of this autocracy can’t be that bad, right?”

      • livus
        link
        fedilink
        262 months ago

        The problems with Ethiopia’s rail system and financing are well-known though, you can find articles about it right accross the political spectrum.

        Disagreeing with this article’s conclusions about it would be valid, but there’s no point trying to pretend the facts listed are not facts.

      • Gamma
        link
        fedilink
        English
        222 months ago

        And you think this because other people complain about trains?

      • @HumanPenguin@feddit.uk
        link
        fedilink
        English
        112 months ago

        Not a very valid point.

        Every nation complains about its leaders. Some are still bigger shit heads then others.

        Simple fact is human beings are more likely to comment on issues then note boring reliability. It still in no way effects the cross nation comparison.

        The best of nations in anything has a right and even need to look for better. That is afterall how progress works.

        But you need clear comparisons and data to accusse those complaints of properganda.