The National Railway Office (ONCF) is counting on a historic turnover which would exceed 5 billion dirhams (billion dirhams) in 2025, up 6% compared to 2024.
“The 2025 forecasts count on an increase in the transport of passengers and goods with the achievement of a historic turnover which would exceed 5 billion dirhams, recording an increase of 6% compared to 2024”, indicates a press release from the ONCF published at the end of its Board of Directors meeting, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Abdessamad Kayouh.
Thus, the 2025 budgets provide for continued growth in passenger activity with the objective of reaching 57 million travelers, an increase of 4% compared to the 2024 closing forecasts and an increase in freight activity to reach 21 million. tons.
In his opening remarks, Kayouh wished to recall the development experienced by the national railway sector under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, during the last two decades through the implementation of structuring projects which made it possible to reposition Moroccan rail. , as the main vector of sustainable, low-carbon mobility with undeniable socio-economic impacts for the community.
For his part, the Director General of the ONCF, Mohamed Rabie Khlie, presented an overview of the past year before detailing the budgets for the year 2025 and the hypotheses used in their development.
According to him, the year 2024 confirms the consolidation of the good economic and commercial performances recorded by the Office and marks an important step in the realization of the Office’s new development cycle.
Thus, the year 2024 ended with exceptional growth, with cumulative records in more than one respect: the milestone reached of 55 million travelers who chose the train for their travels, i.e. + 4% compared to last year and the confirmation of the attractiveness of Al boraq and the growth of the High Speed activity, in line with forecasts, having recorded more than 5.5 million passengers transported, i.e. + 5% compared to to 2023.
As for the goods activity, it stood out during the year 2024, with an exceptional performance, despite the international situation marked by economic disruptions and volatility in the prices of raw materials, with 20 million tonnes of goods transported, an increase of 17% compared to 2023.
-In this sense, the Office’s probable overall turnover for 2024 will exceed MAD 4.7 billion, thanks to the continued development of the Passenger activity and the good recovery of the Phosphates activity, an evolution of +9 % compared to 2023.
Furthermore, the ONCF is continuing its efforts to control operating costs, despite a context marked by continued inflation in the prices of materials and energy.
Thus, the Office should generate a probable EBITDA for 2024 of MAD 1.8 billion, an increase of 9% compared to 2023, i.e. more than double the level recorded in 2019 (first year of commissioning of the projects of the last development cycle), reflecting the excellent performance of the ONCF.
Regarding the 2025 budgets, Khlie specified that they were developed on the basis of the guidelines of the government circular relating to the draft finance law 2025, which aim to support the country’s economic growth and the development of investments while taking into account the context of Morocco’s organization of the 2025 African Football Cup of Nations and the preparation of the organization of the 2030 Football World Cup.
They are also in line with the spirit of controlling expenses in the face of fluctuations linked to the prices of raw materials and inflation and are part of the continuity of the exceptional performance recorded in recent years by the passenger and freight activities, while continuing to control expenses in the face of fluctuations and uncertainties linked to raw material prices and inflation.
In terms of investments, the focus was on the effective launch of the Office’s new development cycle, focused on structuring projects by 2030, namely the extension of the high-speed line to Marrakech. , the deployment of a new RER-type local service in the main regions of Morocco, the acquisition of new trains, the construction of new stations, etc.
These structuring projects will make it possible to strengthen the positioning of rail as the backbone of sustainable mobility in the Kingdom, particularly in view of the future 2030 World Cup which will be organized by the Kingdom.
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