MOROCCO: Work on the 430 km high speed line from Casablanca to Marrakech is moving rapidly into the construction phase, following the letting of a series of civil engineering contracts to local and foreign contractors.
Among the first major works contracts was the 3∙4bn dirham Lot 1 construction contract awarded to China Railway No 4 Engineering Group in September. This covered earthworks over a 63 km section of line from Sidi Ichou to Rabat. It was followed by a 4∙5bn dirham contract awarded to Shandong Hi-Speed Group Co for the 64 km Lot 2 section from Rabat to Zenata.
Grands Travaux Routiers, a Moroccan subsidiary of the French Colas construction group has been awarded a 2∙15bn dirham contract for Lot 3 covering a 36 km route between Berrechid and a bypass round Casablanca. Travaux Généraux de Construction de Casablanca secured a 2∙83bn dirham contract for the 51 km Lot 4 between Berrechid and Settat, while China Railway 20th Bureau Group won a 2∙83bn dirham contract for Lot 5, covering a 36 km section of the future alignment from Settat to Benguérir.
Local companies have now secured work on two further sections: Jet Contractors won the 2bn dirham Lot 6 contract for the 60 km section between Benguérir and Marrakech Palmeraie, while Groupe Mojazine was awarded the final 62 km section into Marrakech under the Lot 7 contract valued at 1∙97bn dirham.
In November Société de Travaux Agricoles Marocaines obtained a 2∙4bn dirham contract for a 67 km section (Lot 3b), and a fifth Chinese company, Gezhouba Group, a subsidiary of China Energy Construction, won a 2∙32bn dirham contact that covers a ninth lot which includes a series of six viaducts over rivers or wadis.
Finally, China Overseas Engineering Corp has secured a 1∙34bn dirham contract for earthworks and related work along the existing railway near Casablanca.
The 320 km/h line, which will connect with the 200 km Tanger – Kénitra high speed route that opened in 2018, is due to be finished in time for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted jointly by Morocco, Spain and Portugal.
- Al Boraq high speed services between Tanger, Kénitra and Casablanca were expected to have carried 6 million passengers during 2024.
