Chis ambition was underlined by Mohamed Rabie Khlie, Director General of the National Railway Office (ONCF), during a panel entitled “How to mobilize financing for railway infrastructure?”, during the International Forum on the financing of railway projects in Africa, organized in Diamniadio, Senegal, from October 19 to 21. Khlie, also vice-president of the International Union of Railways (UIC), highlighted the success of the TGV line linking Casablanca to Tangier.
Inaugurated in 2018, this emblematic infrastructure is the culmination of an ambitious royal vision aimed at connecting the strategic port of Tangier Med to the national rail network, while boosting the economy and facilitating the mobility of citizens. With the prospect of the 2030 World Cup, the extension of this infrastructure towards Marrakech and Agadir represents a major development opportunity, responding to a growing demand for mobility and strengthening logistics capacity for transport of goods.
The fallout from the Al Boraq line
The “Al Boraq” line marked a significant transformation of the Moroccan railway network. Built over 250 km with a double railway line, it also includes 12 bridges, two work bases, a train maintenance workshop and 12 high-speed trains. This project demonstrates Morocco’s capacity to develop modern infrastructure, adapted to local needs and international competitiveness.
Mohamed Rabie Khlie stressed that this line is a sustainable solution to meet mobility and logistics challenges, in particular for activities linked to the port of Tanger Med. For Morocco, the extension of the LGV constitutes a cornerstone in its strategy for hosting the 2030 World Cup. This extension would strengthen connectivity between the Kingdom’s major cities and once again illustrate its commitment to investing in infrastructure modern and durable. Several calls for tender worth billions of dirhams have been awarded since the summer to Moroccan and foreign companies in this regard.
At the same time, the ONCF is launching a new project valued at around 16 billion dirhams, including the renewal of the railway fleet, but also the acquisition of 150 trains for intercity services, fast shuttle trains, and metropolitan services, as well as 18 trains to high speed for future expansions. This strategic choice responds to the “significant growth in passenger traffic, the partial replacement of the aging fleet, and the expansion to new destinations such as Marrakech, while improving local services in the Casablanca and Rabat regions.” indicated the Office a few months ago. One of the major innovations of this project consists of the creation of a Moroccan railway industrial ecosystem and “stimulate the local economy, create jobs, and position Morocco as a competitive railway player on the world stage”.
A call for competition was launched in November 2023. It follows a call for expressions of international interest in September 2022, where the ONCF received ten expressions of interest from international manufacturers. The selection process, currently underway through a “multi-stage competitive dialogue”, will guarantee collaboration with the best partner for this major project.
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