Steam in Eritrea: Mallets to Asmara 2025

A miracle is taking place: the army is being deployed to rebuild the track between Nefasit and Ghinda, which has been destroyed in several places! For the first time in many years, we will be able to conquer the 1,400 metre difference in altitude between Ghinda and Asmara with a Mallet. The initial spark for this came from our trip in January 2024, as the two year opportunity to repair the rolling stock and clear the line during Covid 19 was traded for two years of coffee and cake. The weather is so nice in Eritrea, and as there were no customers to care about why someone should think about repairing anything? Only one locomotive and the turntable were repaired during this time. If the spectacular section between Nefasit and Asmara is worth a trip, the architectural and railway pearl on the Red Sea with its extension to Ghinda certainly is.

Eritrea was occupied by

Ethiopia

for many years. After gaining independence in 1993, some of the staff started to rebuild the totally destroyed railway. Some of the Mallets, built by Ansaldo (

Italy

) in 1938, were brought back to life. Also one of the small Breda built shunters, one Krupp diesel loco and two diesel railcars (one from 1935) have been put back into working order. However, the Littorina railcar is not serviceable any more, and it would be risky to take the Krupp diesel out on the line. The vintage steam locomotives were sometimes operated by railwaymen of a similar age, although nowadays by younger “apprentices”, and are used for specials on a line which can easily be compared to the lines in the Andes, the Semmering in Austria or the Darjeeling railway. Spectacular mountain sections with gradients of up to 3.5% were needed to enable the 950mm gauge line to gain some 2,400m in height over a distance of 118kms. There are many tunnels and stone arch viaducts. You can see deep gorges, steep rock faces and valleys, overlooking the mountains, covered in clouds … but only for a brief spell before you enter the next tunnel. All a photographers’ paradise!

The capital of Eritrea, Asmara, has an irresistible Italian flair. Whether you like a pizza or a Cappuccino in the afternoon sitting in a beautiful garden restaurant, the “Dolce Vita” is everywhere in Asmara. The Art Déco style buildings give the city a real Italian touch and it’s on the world heritage list of the UNESCO. There is much more to see in

Eritrea

than the stunning railway. If you want, you can stay a bit longer here for a holiday. You’ll not be bored! Probably, besides South Africa, the most wife/girlfriend-friendly destination on the FarRail calendar … If your time permits you should definitely stay to escape from north European winder depressions.

Itinerary

Date	Itinerary
25.01.	Departure to Asmara
26.01.	Early morning arrival in Asmara and transfer to our hotel. The group will meet around noon for lunch. In the afternoon we’ll explore the art deco world heritage capital of Eritrea, Asmara with its iconic buildings, cinemas and cafés. In the late afternoon we’ll visit the depot of Asmara and have a look at the locomotives which should be ready for our tour. Hotel in Asmara for the whole railway part of the tour.
27.01.	In the early morning we’ll leave Asmara to do some shots at sunrise. 440 008 will haul a freight train. Around noon our train will roll down to tunnel 23 below Shegereni, from there we’ll start the afternoon climb through many tunnels and horseshoe curves towards Asmara
28.01.	We leave Asmara in the morning with one of the larger Class 442 Mallets and a mixed train and roll down to Ghinda, which we will reach around midday. In the afternoon, we will then steam through the sweeping curves of Ghinda and climb up to Embatkala. Our train will then roll back to Ghinda, where it will also spend the night. Our charter buses will take us back to Asmara in the evening.
29.01.	In the morning our charter buses will take us back from Asmara to Ghinda. From here, we steam up to Nefasit, where we will arrive in the late afternoon, taking numerous photo stops (and breaks for steam cooking). While our train spends the night here, our charter buses will take us back to Asmara.
30.01.	Our charter busses will bring us back to Nefasit, situated at a huge mountain ridge. In the morning our 442 will climb from Nefasit to Arbaroba, where we’ll have a lunch break. In the afternoon we’ll continue the steep climb from Nefasit to Shegereni, from where our train will return back to Arbaroba and stay there overnight while we’ll return to the capital by charter buses.
31.01.	In the early morning we’ll return to Arbaroba to continue our climb uphill. Today we’ll go far away from any road access, towards Lessa, an abandoned, but refurbished siding in the middle of the mountains and start the steep climb from somewhere between the numerous tunnels back to Arbaroba. We’ll return by chartered buses on to Asmara.
01.02.	We’ll use the early morning light to take some interesting pictures between Arbaroba and Shegereni. Here another train with one of the larger 442-Mallets will arrive, and the afternoon is reserved for a double header, passing Devil’s Gate and running over arch viaducts and through tunnels to Asmara. After we arrived we’ll line-up our locos in front of the beautiful depot and take some night shots. Our hotel is booked until about 1 am, then transfer to the airport for those who are leaving us.
02.02.	Return flight home and arrival at home in the same afternoon

Italian Flair in Africa

Date	Itinerary
02.02.	After the somewhat stressful railway tour, we take it easy today: Breakfast probably at the Victoria Café where you should definitely try the bombolone! Like so many things in Eritrea, the café has hardly changed since the 1930s. Back then it was ultra-modern, but today it is an anachronism from another era. Asmara is the cinema capital of Africa. We will visit some of them. In the afternoon, we take the charter bus down to Keren. After a sundowner beer or wine on the roof terrace of a local hotel in the city centre, we drive to the best hotel in Keren, where we will spend the night.
03.02.	In the morning we’ll visit the camel and general markets of Keren, feeling much like 13^th century Arabia! In the afternoon we'll visit some of the architectural highlights of Keren. The old railway station is for sure one of them. Loco shed, turn table and warehouse buildings are still in place. Keren is full of beautiful churches and mosques and a mixture of different building styles. We’ll also visit Mariam Da'arit, a statue of Mary in a giant baobab tree and the war cemetery from WW II. Italian troops have been beaten by British troops in 1941; near Keren was the battle of decision. Hotel in Keren
04.02.	In the morning we’ll return to Asmara where we’ll have lunch in the fantastic Ghibabo restaurant. In the afternoon we’ll continue to the harbour city of Massawa, Dhalak Hotel in Massawa
05.02.	In the morning we’ll walk through the remains of the historically highly interesting city of Massawa. Massawa was destroyed in the end of the liberation war and never rebuilt. The palace of the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie lies in ruins. But there is still life in the harbour city. From here we’ll go to Asmara. On the way we’ll stop at an abandoned hot spring, which was used by the Italians. In Nefasit we’ll have a look at the church before we’ll continue to the Sicomori Valley near Segheneyti to experience sunset in the valley, famous for its huge trees. We’ll continue to a basic (= best in town) hotel in Adi Keyh.
06.02.	In the morning we’ll go to Qohaito to see some remains of the thousands of years old culture nearby. There are some 5,000 years old (!) cave paintings which we will see. In the afternoon we’ll continue to Senafe and visit the ruins of Matara as well as the stunning countryside. In the late afternoon we will return to Adi Keyh.
07.02.	Unforgettable: sunrise Breakfast at the rim of the Rift valley! Later we’ll return to Asmara, hotel in Asmara.
08.02.	The Catholic cathedral on Asmara's main street is usually only open in the morning. It is worth taking a look inside. It was sponsored by Mussolini, among others, as can be read on a marble plaque. There is a synagogue in Asmara that is run by the last Jew in the city. He will open it for us and tell us some stories about the vibrant Jewish life in the city in the past. In the afternoon, we will visit two cemeteries – the tank cemetery and the Italian and Jewish cemetery right next to it. Both are worth seeing and tell us a lot about the history of the country. We have booked a hotel in Asmara to relax a little before our return flight in the early morning.
09.02.	Early morning: return flight home, arrival in the same evening.

Line description

We will probably be able to experience the Asmara – Nefasit – Ghinda section. The line runs from Massawa harbour through relatively flat coastal land, with a desert character up to Mai Atal (km 29). After Mai Atal several dry riverbeds are crossed by long stone arched viaducts before the ascent becomes noticeable. Before Ghinda (70 km, approx. 1,000m above sea level) there are the first tunnels. Then the really breathtaking part of the line starts, with many tunnels, bends, bridges and retaining walls. The summit is reached at about 2,400m above sea level between Arbaroba and Asmara (km 118). After Asmara the line first runs through slightly flatter country before a steep decent through beautiful scenery follows, but this part hasn’t been rebuilt and may never get. Most of the section Asmara – Keren is passable with four wheel drive vehicles. Beyond Keren the line is not passable by cars. Several parts are blocked by washouts, landslides or huge rocks on the embankment.

Asmara is the capital of

Eritrea

. Asmara is a gem of the Art Déco building period. In 2017 it was added to the list of world heritage sites by the UNESCO. It was built by well known Italian architects during the time that

Eritrea

was an Italian colony. The busy time for construction of the buildings came to an abrupt end with the invasion of British troops during World War II and construction has never changed much since the Ethiopian period or after independence. Hence you'll still find the Art Déco city almost untouched from more modern influences. Asmara has more cinemas than many other cities in Africa three times larger than Asmara. All of these cinemas are landmarks of the modern art of building such locations some 80 years ago. Most of them are still in use. Coffee houses, pizza and pasta restaurants, small shops, apartment blocks and official buildings, churches and mosques, villa quarters and poorer corners, markets and the fish market and even a synagogue dominate the picture of one of the most scenic cities in Africa. Even the local brewery is built in the Art Déco style. And the beer coming from it is very tasty!

Asmara is a city that is still an Italian oasis in Africa where you can really live and experience Dolce Vita. Of course, there is also poverty in the city as well as in the countryside, but begging rarely happens, and often only where tourists are around. Mostly it will only be the children who ask for a pen. Giving them out then leads to a good overview of the abundance of children in a place. So it is better not to do it. We will organise a collection centrally and then distribute it to the right places so that those who are really in need can benefit from a donation. More about this matter can be found in the letters to the participants to be sent before the trip.

Remarks

The railway, as already mentioned, was built through very difficult terrain. There are photo locations which only have room for around 15 photographers. In these cases we’ll make several run pasts until everyone has got the shot. This also means that some discipline is required. Nobody should get in the way of others, even if their location is supposedly better. If this is indeed the case other people will feel the same and the position of the shot can be altered. Our time for photography is naturally limited by the shadows of the mountains in early morning and late evening and by the harsh light at midday. We won’t waste much energy trying to get useful shots in the midday sun. Our time is also limited by the technical limitations of the locomotives. They are not in the best state and we face a risk that such a loco can fail or delay our train with no chance for any kind of compensation. At least you should expect several stops on the line to raise steam pressure. This one is for sure!

Please don’t get carried away with the scenery, we are in the mountains. One wrong step can lead to a fall that can seriously endanger your health or even your life. If you take part in this tour you do so at your own risk, particularly when getting out of the train along the line and moving through the terrain. If you aren’t up to reaching a certain photo point, for example because the wine the night before was very nice, please stay in the train! There will be other opportunities that can be reached more easily and will be just as good.

Eritrea

is facing a difficult time. In the western media you can read about the refugees from

Eritrea

, but you can hardly find any evidence of why so many people are leaving the country. When you travel through

Eritrea

you’ll find a lot of friendly, welcoming people, an infrastructure which is among the best in this part of the world, a working educating system and tasty food. But, of course, there are reasons for young people to leave the country. The military service can virtually hit anyone between 18 and 80, no matter whether male or female without children (with them you are exempted), and the duration is unpredictable and unlimited. In the economy almost everything is under the control of the government. Licences to start up your own business are hard to get and in case of the slightest irregularity you may lose it. Working in a state owned company will guarantee you only a very limited income which would make even a bottle of beer a week beyond affordability. Hence educated, young people barely see any chance to build a life in

Eritrea

Having said this, you shouldn’t be concerned about lethargy or reluctance when you need something special, although they earn the same money, even if they don’t move. This amount can be so little that they rely almost entirely on the help Eritreans abroad send to their families. If they do something, but do it the wrong way, they may even lose their job or, even worse, get a national call – which everyone tries to avoid. So arranging a demanding tour can be somewhat difficult, especially since the former General Manager, Amanuel, died.

Eritrea is a country which has gained independence in 1993. Before that, a war of independence raged for decades. Even after that there was more fighting over the exact borders with

Ethiopia

. The country has not fully recovered from these long periods of war and there is widespread poverty. Unlike many other African countries this hasn’t led to a high crime rate. Eritrea is one of the safest countries in the whole of Africa. The locals are very friendly. Tourism is still in its infancy, so our hotels are of an acceptably standard only (matching 1 or 2 star hotels in Europe) but are quite clean. Sometimes hotels may have a problem with hot water supply for a shower. We try to avoid these sorts of hotels. As

Eritrea

is still a young country the process of getting all official processes "streamlined" is not finished yet. Visa regulations can change with short notice in advance. But so far we always got the requested visas. In recent years we always used the (officially non-existent) visa on arrival.

We expect temperatures of 20 to 26 degrees in Asmara and Keren and around 23 to 29 degrees in Ghinda. In Massawa temperatures may reach more than 30 degrees Centigrade. In Asmara the temperature can drop to some ten degrees in the early morning. Rain is rather unlikely but the area near Ghinda/Arbaroba often experiences fog, which can allow for some really atmospheric shots – or make photography impossible for a couple of hours.

Below 2,000 m altitude there is a risk of malaria throughout the year. The best defence against malaria is to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes, so it’s recommended you wear long clothing in the evening. Long clothing is also a cultural necessity as half of the population is Muslim (the other half Christian). Short trousers are unsuitable for wearing in public even if it’s really hot. Short trousers are popular among the poorest of the poor when they need to do a hard job as well as by soldiers of invading western troops, nothing you should even think about copying. Also short trousers indicate that you don’t care for their culture and you’re somewhat arrogant. If you see some foreign tourists wearing short trousers you can only shake your head.

The electricity supply (220 Volts) is reasonably dependable due to generators in our hotels; often you will need an adaptor for your plugs. There is a mobile phone network available but no western company signed a roaming contract so far. That’s why you can’t use the mobile network of

Eritrea

. International calls are possible from our hotel in Asmara. You can also call abroad in the large towns via the telephone exchange. We can arrange to “rent ”a local SIM card at extra cost (need to be negotiated as these cards are private cards from Eritreans and need to given back at the end of the tour). In Asmara (but not in Keren, Massawa or Adi Keyh) there is “slooooow” internet access.

You should take all the usual precautions for a stay in the tropics if you prefer a trouble free trip rather than a hospital stay. Basic rules like only eating pealed and/or cooked food and not drinking tap water should be abided by. Besides the local food, which you really should try, many Italian influences remain from the colonial time. It’s no problem getting a pizza in Asmara. Breakfast (except early morning departures) and dinner are planned in our hotel or restaurants not far from our hotels while lunch is a small snack which will be served in the train. Cold drinks can also be bought in the train for local prices which can’t be described being cheap any more. A 330 ml bottle of beer is now about 2 Dollars while drinking water has a very similar price!

We can’t guarantee that a certain locomotive is serviceable but we can guarantee there will be sufficient locomotives to haul all planned trains with steam. But you need to accept brakes for solving technical issues like low steam pressure. We expect at least two Mallets being operational.

We know the technical state of the Littorina, the "Litorinella" and the Krupp diesel loco only too well to add one of these vehicles to our programme. The risk of failures – if you get them out of the station of Asmara at all – is just too high. Promises to run charter trains with these are as good as a pre-election promise of an average politician to lower taxes.

The railwaymen have already entertained many groups of railway enthusiasts and know what we want and how we want it. They are even used to the high demands of a FarRail Tours charter train event. Even so, we are in Africa where time has a different meaning from that in our hurried world. We have to account for problems on the railway and with engines that are only used every few months and in our case after more than three years for the first time. Serious delays and failures are possible. And with a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius in the shade there’s no room for frantic rushing around when solving a problem. But there will always be a solution. Don’t lose your temper or spoil other people’s fun if, for example, an injector doesn’t behave itself. The quality of their coal is doubtful and we will need some extra breaks to raise steam pressure. The technical state of the locomotives with all their steam leaks is not the best. Some of the railwaymen are not very sophisticated handling these machines either. However, even with the worst possible timekeeping you’re guaranteed many very good pictures of a great mountain landscape. In the case of technical problems with the locos we might have to cancel trains with no refund possible.

Prices changed since they introduced new banknotes (looking the same as the old ones, but the issuing date is important), there is a shortage of cash and the black marked dried out completely. The official rate is 1 Dollar = 15 Nakfa which makes everything very expensive. A proper dinner costs you easily 20 Dollars, without alcoholic beverages.

The line between Baresa and Massawa was partly destroyed by severe weather conditions in December 2012 and November 2013. The damage was repaired by January 2014. In 2016 it was again destroyed, as well as parts around Embatkala were buried under rocks and sand. In December 2023 a big embankment was washed away near Nefasit. You should keep in mind that weather conditions may damage a part of the line with no chance to repair the section in time (or at all). But they'll try their best to rebuild the line in such cases in time. Every effort is currently being made to rebuild the Nefasit – Ghinda section. Inclement weather could jeopardise these efforts. Eritrea is not immune to climate change.

Buses are hard to charter because there is no diesel, and the black market only works for insiders. We have to make do with what is available. There are currently three buses in the country that are suitable for us: two “Coaster” coaches belong to larger companies and a smaller one to one of the few travel agencies.

Hygienic and environmental standards in

Eritrea

do not conform to Central European, Australian or North American expectations. Carrying some toiletries in your photo bag is hence advisable. Please bear in mind that accommodation and transportation in

Eritrea

falls short of EU/North American/Australian/Japanese or generally so called western safety standards. Always use common sense when crossing roads and railway tracks. FarRail Tours, the local agency or the railway cannot be held responsible and will not accept any liability whatsoever in the case of any accident, damage, delay or cancellation. We suggest you take out a comprehensive overseas accident and health insurance policy.

Eritrea
1.400 m uphill: From Ghinda to Asmara	0 to 0 participants	£0
25.01.2025 – 02.02.2025	Single room surcharge	£0
Registration Deadline: 25.10.2024 Price not known yet
Italian Flair in Africa	0 to 0 participants	£0
02.02.2025 – 09.02.2025	Single room surcharge	£0
Registration Deadline: 01.11.2024 Price not known yet.

Eritrea: 1.400 m uphill! From Ghinda to Asmara

Steam in Eritrea: 25/1 – 2/2/2025

Italian Flair in Africa: 2/2 – 9/2/2025

Itinerary

Italian Flair in Africa

Line description

Remarks

Price