China's CNR to produce Ethiopia train coaches

China CNR Corporation Limited (CNR), one of the country's biggest train makers, announced on Tuesday that it will produce 30 train coaches for Ethiopia, a step to grasp a share in the booming African market.

Changchun Railway Vehicles Co. Ltd. of CNR has signed contracts with Ethiopian authorities to produce 30 25G coaches, including 20 hard-seat, four hard-sleeper, four soft-sleeper and two dinning carriages with a designed speed of 120 km per hour, according to the company.

The coaches will run on the Ethiopia-Djibouti Railway, which was built in 1917 by France and is the only trunk railway line in Ethiopia. The east African country relies on the Djibouti port to trade goods.

The Ethiopian government is building new railway lines to replace the 96-year-old railway, which is outdated and has been suspended from operation.

Ethiopia plans to expand its length of railway to 2,600 km by 2015, which poses great market prospects.