Since it was launched, the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, coordinated by China, Ethiopia and Djibouti, has improved transportation and boosted the local economy under the Belt and Road Initiative. Our reporter Zheng Songwu visits Ethiopia's Addis Ababa to learn more about the changes on the ground.

Dejen Gezu from Ethiopia was one of the earliest train engineers working on the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway. It spans more than 750 kilometers, starting in Addis Ababa and ending in Djibouti City.

ZHENG SONGWU Addis Ababa, Ethiopia "Hi, how is everything? When is the departure time? Would you like to share us how you operate a train?"

DEJEN GEZU Train Engineer, Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway "Good, around 11 o'clock, yes."

In 2018, Dejen joined the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, or CCECC, one of the Chinese companies that helped to build and run the railway. He had the opportunity to visit the Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College in Central China's Henan Province.

ZHENG SONGWU Addis Ababa, Ethiopia "You were sent to Zhengzhou to be trained in how to operate a train, how was the experience?"

DEJEN GEZU Train Engineer, Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway "And all the training was so important as was so crucial. We gained a handover experience. The training has around eight phases, such as classroom instruction, theoretical training, practical training, the route training or route operation. There also was an internship on the actual route to practice how to operate the train. These were all very very important training courses in China."

As the first transnational standard-gauge electrified railway in East Africa, the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway went into commercial operation in 2018. Up to May this year, over 2,500 passenger trips and more than 7,000 cargo trips have run along the railway, generating a revenue of 10 billion Birr, or nearly 200 million U.S. dollars.

In the past six years, the CCECC has offered training opportunities to over 2,800 workers from both Ethiopia and Djibouti. The railway project has also helped over 55,000 people in the two countries find employment, according to the CCECC.

Before the launch of the railway, it took from three days to a week for Ethiopians to transport cargo from Addis Ababa to Djibouti City, but now it only takes 20 hours. It's also helped Ethiopia promote its agricultural products worldwide by directly linking to Djibouti Port in the Gulf of Aden.

DEJEN GEZU Train Engineer, Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway "This railway just plays a significant role in reducing traffic congestion and environmental impact, enhancing just in relation to just air, road and other transportation system. There're a lot of employees here in this company, now more than 3,000 employees here. So the number of unemployment already reduced in some points. And also, it's very important in the economic development of our countries and helps us to transport goods and people over long distance from here to Djibouti and from Djibouti to here; it's very important."

ZHENG SONGWU Addis Ababa, Ethiopia "The Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway is more than just a modern transportation artery connecting Addis Ababa and Djibouti. It also symbolizes the win-win cooperation between China and Africa under the Belt and Road Initiative. With the successful operation of this railway, the collaboration between China and Africa in infrastructure and economic development has reached a new level. This not only strengthens the relationship between China and Africa, but also offers new opportunities for developing countries. Zheng Songwu, CGTN, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia."