His Majesty the King Launches High-Speed Train Extension Project from Rabat to Marrakech with a 96 Billion Dirham Investment
His Majesty King Mohammed VI today, Thursday, inaugurated the extension project of the high-speed train line from Kenitra to Marrakech at the Rabat-Agdal station, covering approximately 430 kilometers. This initiative enhances Morocco’s position as an African platform for sustainable transport.
The project is part of a massive national investment program worth 96 billion dirhams. This program includes the construction of the new line at a cost of 53 billion dirhams, excluding rolling stock, and the acquisition of 168 new trains for 29 billion dirhams to modernize the national fleet and meet the increasing demand for rail transport services.
The focus is not only on the high-speed line but also on the development of three urban transport networks in Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech, with an additional investment of nearly 14 billion dirhams, making mass transport a cornerstone of this transformation.
The project will revolutionize travel times between major cities. The journey between Tangier and Rabat will take just one hour, Tangier to Casablanca one hour and forty minutes, and Tangier to Marrakech two hours and forty minutes, saving over two hours compared to the current situation. Rabat will be connected to Mohammed V Airport in just 35 minutes, with a direct link to the Grand Stadium in Ben Slimane. Additionally, the high-speed line connecting Fez to Marrakech will operate in a record time of three hours and forty minutes, thanks to the integration of the new lines with the existing network.
The project includes the construction of new high-speed train stations in Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech, updates to the current stations, along with advanced rail facilities and a modern maintenance center in Marrakech.
One of the significant expected transformations is the alleviation of pressure on the conventional network, allowing for the launch of urban train services that meet the daily commuting needs in major cities, with improved scheduling, lower operational costs, and reduced environmental impact.
The program also includes the establishment of a local manufacturing unit for trains, supporting the emergence of a Moroccan rail industrial system with a local integration rate exceeding 40 percent. It will also entail the creation of a mixed company between the National Railway Office and manufacturing companies to ensure ongoing and guaranteed maintenance of the trains throughout their operational lifespan.
This dynamic will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, develop specialized Moroccan competencies, help reduce transportation costs, support the national economy, and achieve low-carbon mobility in line with sustainable development goals.
Morocco’s technical partnerships for this project involve leading international companies: Alstom from France, CAF from Spain, and Hyundai Rotem from South Korea, under preferential financing terms.
With this project, Morocco embarks on a new phase in its railway strategy, focused on speed, efficiency, and industrial integration, aiming to make rail transport a fundamental pillar of economic, social, and environmental development.
