MOROCCO: National operator ONCF is stepping up the pace of planning and preliminary construction work for the 40bn dirhams high speed line between Kénitra and Marrakech.
Due to open between September and November 2029 in time for the FIFA World Cup being staged the following year in Morocco, Spain and Portugal, the 430 km line will form an extension of the 200 km Tanger – Kénitra high speed line that opened in November 2018. The future journey time from Tanger to Marrakech is expected to be around 3 h.
As with ONCF’s initial high speed route, the Kénitra – Marrakech line will be designed for trains to run at 320 km/h. Preparatory works were initiated towards the end of last year, and a number of tenders for construction and fixed equipment have since been initiated. The main construction work is to be split into several sections, with offers due to be submitted by late June.
ONCF is already seeking bids for signalling and telecommunications equipment, expected to be worth between 3bn and 4bn dirhams. Closing date is June 27, and installation is expected to start in January 2025 and continue for four years. A number of other tenders have been announced, including for a 3∙3 km section running mainly in tunnel below Rabat from Bouregreg to Rabat-Agdal.
Route
From Kénitra the high speed alignment will run south on an inland route roughly parallel to the coast to reach the Moroccan capital of Rabat. From there it will continue southwest to serve the planned Grand Stade de Casablanca at Benslimane before reaching Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport at Nouaceur.
The route will then strike south to pass close to Berrechid and Settat, continuing through Skhour Rhamna and Benguerir to terminate at a new station at Marrakech Palmeraie. A maintenance depot is planned near Marrakech, where a junction for the future 239 km extension towards Agadir will be located.
In the Rabat and Casablanca area significant upgrades and additional tracks are planned along existing routes with connections provided to the new line. Additional suburban stations are to be built in Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech as part of a related project to provide several regional express routes and improve suburban services.
