Dire Dawa, (Ethiopia) (AFP) – In Dire Dawa, in eastern Ethiopia, commuters still use the ‘Franco-Ethiopian Railway’ built over a century ago by the French. The old track remains indispensable for trade and transport, even with the recent arrival of a modern, Chinese-built line. Twice a week, passengers and cargo pile into carriages dating back to 1955 to make the 12-hour, 200-kilometre (125-mile) journey by diesel locomotive from Dire Dawa to Dewele, on the border of Djibouti.