List of railway stations in Eritrea

This article is a list of the railway stations in Eritrea.
The Eritrean Railway originally ran from Massawa, a port on the Red Sea, via the capital Asmara to Agordat. The line can be divided into three sections (Massawa-Asmara; Asmara-Keren; Keren-Agordat). Additionally there was until WW2 a potash line, that was used also for civilian service.

Eritrean Railways at their greatest extension before WWII

Massawa to Asmara

The route was built between 1887 and 1910 by the Italians, who made the two main stations (Asmara and Massawa) with typical structures of railway stations in small Italian cities.

As of 2008, this is the only section open.

Name	Image	Distance[1]	Altitude[1]	Coordinates
Massawa		0.0 km (0.0 mi)	3 m (10 ft)	15.606546°N 39.466163°E / 15.606546; 39.466163
Campo di Marte		2.8 km (1.7 mi)	9 m (30 ft)	15.6144297°N 39.4450754°E / 15.6144297; 39.4450754
Otumlo[2]		4.6 km (2.9 mi)	11 m (36 ft)	15.6233339°N 39.4328311°E / 15.6233339; 39.4328311
Moncullo		7.7 km (4.8 mi)	30 m (98 ft)	15.61041°N 39.408839°E / 15.61041; 39.408839
Dogali		19.6 km (12.2 mi)	100 m (328 ft)	15.5983434°N 39.3071535°E / 15.5983434; 39.3071535
Mai Atal		29.4 km (18.3 mi)	181 m (594 ft)	15.5682675°N 39.2429334°E / 15.5682675; 39.2429334
Damas		45.0 km (28.0 mi)	416 m (1,365 ft)	15.476202°N 39.207952°E / 15.476202; 39.207952
Baresa		57.1 km (35.5 mi)	600 m (1,969 ft)	15.401421°N 39.184778°E / 15.401421; 39.184778
Ghinda		69.4 km (43.1 mi)	888 m (2,913 ft)	15.438634°N 39.101447°E / 15.438634; 39.101447
Embatkalla		81.1 km (50.4 mi)	1,274 m (4,180 ft)	15.400438°N 39.07397°E / 15.400438; 39.07397
Nefasit		93.0 km (57.8 mi)	1,672 m (5,486 ft)	15.335212°N 39.063274°E / 15.335212; 39.063274
Arbaroba		104.9 km (65.2 mi)	2,064 m (6,772 ft)	15.346758°N 39.007419°E / 15.346758; 39.007419
Asmara		117.6 km (73.1 mi)	2,342 m (7,684 ft)	15.338936°N 38.949323°E / 15.338936; 38.949323

Asmara to Keren

Keren railway station – now used as a bus station and market

This section (with the stations) was built between 1911 and 1923. The railway generally followed the Anseba River and one of its tributaries through the mountains between Zazzega and Halib Mentel.

Halib Mentel Station

Name	Distance[1]	Altitude[1]	Coordinates
Tzada Cristian	127.2 km (79.0 mi)	2,292 m (7,520 ft)	15.337200°N 38.848235°E / 15.337200; 38.848235
Zazzega	136.8 km (85.0 mi)	2,217 m (7,274 ft)	15.353530°N 38.808876°E / 15.353530; 38.808876
Dem Sabai	148.5 km (92.3 mi)	1,988 m (6,522 ft)	15.412373°N 38.767746°E / 15.412373; 38.767746
Andenna	156.6 km (97.3 mi)	1,907 m (6,257 ft)	15.458534°N 38.761063°E / 15.458534; 38.761063
Abrascico	164.9 km (102.5 mi)	1,783 m (5,850 ft)	15.508964°N 38.735621°E / 15.508964; 38.735621
Amba Derho	176.3 km (109.5 mi)	1,688 m (5,538 ft)	15.579392°N 38.695315°E / 15.579392; 38.695315
Furkuto	185.7 km (115.4 mi)	1,635 m (5,364 ft)	15.633484°N 38.660290°E / 15.633484; 38.660290
Elabered	195.3 km (121.4 mi)	1,468 m (4,816 ft)	15.681942°N 38.614706°E / 15.681942; 38.614706
Halib Mentel	209.9 km (130.4 mi)	1,423 m (4,669 ft)	15.745387°N 38.547237°E / 15.745387; 38.547237
Keren	221.7 km (137.8 mi)	1,390 m (4,560 ft)	15.776962°N 38.453618°E / 15.776962; 38.453618

Keren to Agordat

Agordat station, built in Arabesque style

This section was built between 1924 and 1929.

Name	Distance[1]	Altitude[1]	Coordinates
Asciadira	232.7 km (144.6 mi)	1,204 m (3,950 ft)	15.763700°N 38.390402°E / 15.763700; 38.390402
Hummed	245.7 km (152.7 mi)	935 m (3,068 ft)	15.738949°N 38.323677°E / 15.738949; 38.323677
Agat	253.3 km (157.4 mi)	864 m (2,835 ft)
Darotai	262.5 km (163.1 mi)	795 m (2,608 ft)
Mai Adarte	271.4 km (168.6 mi)	750 m (2,461 ft)	15.655361°N 38.133637°E / 15.655361; 38.133637
Umfutat	284.6 km (176.8 mi)	669 m (2,195 ft)
Carobel	296.4 km (184.2 mi)	677 m (2,221 ft)
Agordat	306.4 km (190.4 mi)	606 m (1,988 ft)	15.546063°N 37.881155°E / 15.546063; 37.881155

Beyond Agordat

Beyond Agordat, the rails were laid as far as Bishia, another 31 kilometres (19 mi), with plans to extend to Ellit and Teseney,^[3] linking with the railway network in Sudan. However this section was never completed.^[4]

There would have been a break-of-gauge at the connection between Sudan and Eritrea.

Name	Distance	Altitude	Comments
Agordat	232.7 km (144.6 mi)	606 m (1,988 ft)
Bishia	263.7 km (163.9 mi),	715 m (2,346 ft)	15.490014°N 37.546572°E / 15.490014; 37.546572
Ellit	290.7 km (180.6 mi)	735 m (2,411 ft)	km uncertain
Teseney	301.0 km (187.0 mi)	600 m (1,969 ft)	km uncertain
Kassala, Sudan	351.0 km (218.1 mi)	531 m (1,742 ft)	km uncertain; Near Eritrea-Sudan border

Potash railway

A 42 kilometres (26 mi) line carrying potash was built to serve the following locations:^[5]

• Badda
• Adaito

The 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge line was active from 1905: a 600-mm track gauge line was built by the Italians inside the port of Mersa Fatuma^[6] and from it into the hinterland until Kululi near the Ethiopian border. This was the main source of potash in Eritrea and had to cease operations because of the Great Depression of 1929.^[7]

See also

• Transport in Eritrea
• Eritrean Railway
• Italian Eritrea
• Italian Eritreans
• Railway stations in Sudan
• Railway stations in Ethiopia
• Railway stations in Somalia

References

1. Railways Administration in Eritrea. Imperial Ethiopian Government. 16 November 1965.
2. Photo of Otumlo station
3. Map of 1938 Italian Eritrea showing the expansion planned toward Ethiopia and Sudan border (the red line continuous is the Massaua-Asmara-Keren-Agordat railway)
4. "The Eritrean Railway". Retrieved 24 March 2009.
5. "Building the line". Retrieved 24 March 2009.
6. Meleca: Map of the potash railway from Mersa Fatuma in page 3
7. Neil Robinson. World Rail Atlas and Historical Summary.North, East and Central Africa. London, 2009 (p.35-39). ISBN 978-954-92184-3-5

External links

Media related to Train stations in Eritrea at Wikimedia Commons