Exciting Developments in Morocco's High-Speed Rail Network
On Monday, during a session at the House of Representatives, Minister of Transport and Logistics, Abdel Samad Qiyouh, announced that the new high-speed train line connecting Kenitra and Marrakech has reached a completion rate of 30 percent. This ambitious project aims to revolutionize travel within Morocco, significantly reducing travel times between key cities. The new high-speed train will connect major hubs, including Rabat, Casablanca, Mohammed V Airport, and the Grand Stadium in Ben Slimane, ultimately reaching Marrakech. With a total investment program of approximately 96 billion dirhams, this initiative represents the largest investment in rail transport in Morocco in the last decade.
The new high-speed line will stretch over 430 kilometers and is projected to cost around 53 billion dirhams. It will include the procurement of 168 new trains and a financial provision of 14 billion dirhams to enhance the efficiency of the existing rail network. Notably, the travel time between Tangier and Marrakech, which currently takes around six and a half hours, will be reduced to just three and a half hours. Additionally, the duration of travel between Rabat and Tangier will be shortened to one hour from the current hour and twenty minutes. The new route will also introduce a direct connection from the heart of Rabat to Mohammed V Airport in just 35 minutes, while the journey between Casablanca and Marrakech will take a mere 55 minutes.
Future Expansion and Enhancements in Rail Services
Regarding the second phase of the high-speed train project linking Marrakech to Agadir, the minister indicated that both the introductory and practical studies have been completed. A significant portion of these studies is dedicated to the construction of bridges and tunnels in the High Atlas region, which will constitute approximately 70 percent of the project. The ministry and the National Office of Railways are currently working to secure international funding for this phase, estimated at around 55 billion dirhams.
In addition to the high-speed trains, the minister revealed that the progress on the suburban train project, known as 'RER,' has also reached 30 percent. This project aims to enhance public transportation and reduce congestion in urban areas over the next two decades. The suburban trains will operate from newly constructed stations, with a frequency of every ten minutes on routes such as Rabat-Kenitra-Skhirat, thereby alleviating traffic pressure. Moreover, the National Office of Railways is undertaking a major initiative to upgrade the quality of the 'Atlas' trains by acquiring and equipping over 160 new train cars for existing lines between Oujda and Marrakech, alongside various new programs.
Among other significant projects, the minister highlighted the construction of a new factory in Beni Mellal dedicated to the maintenance and manufacturing of railway locomotives, with a local integration rate of around 62 percent. This factory aims to produce next-generation locomotives using Moroccan expertise, catering to the needs of the National Office of Railways and potentially exporting this manufacturing to other countries.
In terms of service quality, the government official noted that the on-time performance of trains has exceeded 87 percent, with customer satisfaction surveys indicating an approval rate of over 80 percent. He expressed openness to suggestions from parliament members to further improve service quality.
As reported by akhbarona.com.
