A view of railway tracks leading into a bustling city with tall buildings and modern infrastructure.
Almost a decade ago, the light-rail system in Ethiopia’s capital of Addis Ababa was hailed as a revolutionary solution to the city’s transportation woes. Today, only a third of the $475 million system’s trains are operational, ferrying just 55,000 passengers a day — a fraction of initial projections. Overcrowding, long wait times and frequent breakdowns have pushed commuters to find new and costlier ways to get around. The light rail sits as a daily reminder of the broken promises of China-funded infrastructure investments that have swept Africa in recent years. China has loaned billions across the so-called Global South as part of its drive to gain political influence, but critics say the money simply leaves host governments mired in debt.