| Summary: | Perhaps seen as the most spectacular development of the early 20th century Ethiopia, was the introduction of a modern railway transport system. The line was built by the French between 1897-1917 to connect port Jibuti (Djibouti) to Addis Ababa crossing through Dire Dawa. Besides the basic and long-serving transport
function, the railway certainly played a vital role in the political, social, economic, and cultural developments of the region in the years that followed. Since recent times however, railway services have become paralyzed and most of the line is now being abandoned. This is mainly due to organizational and
management related problems of the managing company and advancement in rail technology which surpasses old rail systems. Nonethless, there is no doubt that it is repository of history and old rail technology, and this in turn could be an opportunity to boost tourism at major stations. Dire Dawa’s station is located almost half-way between Port Jibouti and Addis Ababa and considered the largest of all stations in Ethiopia. The research explores both tangible and intangible elements of this station as railway-heritage
tourism resources to be developed in the future. Storytelling, various types of railway technologies and the historical and cultural landscape of the scene created as a result of the introduction of the railway into the area, are found to be vital tourism resources to be developed into visitor appeal. Interviews, site observation and document analysis were carried out exhaustively from January-June, 2018 to gather the required
research data which will hopefully boost heritage tourism around railways in Ethiopia.
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