The construction of the High Speed Line (HSL) between Kenitra and Marrakech has reached a new milestone with the award of work on the tunnel under Rabat to the consortium formed by SGTM and Sinohydro Bureau 5, a Chinese company.
The contract, worth 1.4 billion dirhams, was awarded after this group, which presented the most economically advantageous offer, as indicated in official documents received by Hespress FR.
In detail, the planned tunnel will extend 3,300 meters under the city of Rabat, starting in the Bouregreg Valley and connecting to the Rabat-Agdal station. It will consist of a 2,750-meter double-track single-block tunnel, a 50-meter uncovered area on the surface, and a 500-meter four-track cut-and-cover tunnel.
The north-eastern end of the tunnel will be located approximately at PK 235+450, near the Bouregreg Valley and close to the existing railway line in operation. As for the south-western end, it will be located around the test garden at PR 238+200, with an open-air part to ensure secure access, underlines the call for tenders whose Hespress FR holds copy.
Between PK 238+250 and 238+750, the underground tunnel will be extended with four-track coverage, integrating two new tracks and two existing tracks approaching the Rabat-Agdal outpost station. The schedule provides for work to be carried out over a total period of 42 months.
The LGV line, allowing a maximum speed of 350 km/h for passenger trains, but operated at 320 km/h over approximately 450 km, will cross both rural areas and the metropolises of Rabat, Salé, Casablanca and Marrakech.
