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Eritrean Railway and Ropeway Timeline

History Timeline of Railway & Ropeway
Year Date Event
1887 January Italians defeated at Dogali
1887 November 24 Construction starts inland from Massawa to Emkulu
1887 First section of Asmara-Munkulo railway opens
1888 Generale San Marzano arrives at Massawa and retakes Sa'ati (8km inland from Dogali) and builds rail line to it. 
1888 March Opened first 25 km to traffic
1889 December Ethiopian treaty grants Eritrean land to Italy 
1890 January 1 Eritrea Declaired Italian Colony
1904 Ghinda Reached
1910 Railway Reached Nefasit
1911 December 6 Reached Asmara
1914 October 1 Dem Sebai
1921 October 1 Halib Mentel
1922 July 1 Reached Keren
1924 FIAT Claims First Diesel Delivered to Eritrea
1925 February 16 Railway Reached Agat
1926 March 12 Darotai
1926 May 7 Mai Adarte
1927 March 21 Umfutat
1928 February 17 Railway Reached Agordat
1928 Shops moved from Ghinda to Asmara
1932 March 7 Reached Bascia
1932 Design of Ropeway (teleferica) Started
1935 First Littorina arrives 
1935 Construction of Ropeway began
1937 March 18 Inauguration of Ropway Betwen Asmara and Massawa
1941 April 1 British control over Asmara
1940s Line from Agordat to Biscia abandon
1944 Ropeway rendered inoperable by the British...strips Eritrea of some $86 Million in property
1952 September 11 Eritrea Federated with Ethiopia
1957 First diesel locomotives delivered to Railway.   Some rail and other materiel taken to Addis to Djibuti line.
1962 November 14 Eritrea's Federation with Ethiopia dissolved
1963 Ropeway Structure dismantling begins
1964 Peak year of operation for line
1965 Ropeway completely dismantled
1965 Peak year of operation...446,000 passengers and 200,000 tons of freight.
1975 Railway Destroyed by Derg regime
1993 May 24 Eritrean Declares Independence
1994 Intent to rebuild Railway Announced.  President declairs rebuilding railway a national priority
1995 Construction Begins
1997 January 4 First 38 km of Railway (Amatere-Demas) opens
1998 Reached Ghinda
2000 January 1 Line opened to Embatkalla

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