The Ethio-Djibouti Railway partially resumed operations three weeks after being derailed in East Showa Zone of the Oromia Regional State. However, the train will still not be able to travel during nighttime or during rainstorms.

The railway is now transporting cargo carrying wheat and fertiliser. It will not be able to transport passengers until a final decision is made by the Ministry of Transport.

The decision to allow the train to operate beginning on April 24, 2019, was made after a preliminary report was written by a team led by the Ministry. The team included experts from the Ethiopian Railways Corporation, the Ministry of Transport and the Ethio-Djibouti Standard Gauge Railway. Another investigation, which is in its completion stage, is required before a decision on the long-term status of the train is made.

Before the accident, trains travelling along the railway line would stop at Modjo Dry Port twice a day. This rate has been halved since the accident now that trains have to spend the night at Dire Dawa and Adigala, a town in the Somali Regional State.

The accident that led to a three-week interruption of operations was a derailment of a cargo train in Fentale Wereda at 3:00am, while the train was on route to Djibouti from Addis Abeba. The cause of the accident was reported to be flood damage to the train tracks.

Two electric locomotives and three flatbed wagons were destroyed, while 16 other wagons were derailed, according to sources close to the case. The estimated cost of the damage is between 200 million Br and 300 million Br.

The train was being operated at the time of derailment by three Ethiopians and one train conductor from Djibouti, who started training on July 9, 2018.

Nonetheless, one month after the accident, there has not any public disclosure about the accident by officials.