A Chinese company will build the Marrakech-Agadir high-speed train (Denial)

China Railway Design Corporation (CRDC). This is the name of the Chinese company that has won the contract for the realization of the high-speed rail (LGV) project that will connect Marrakech to Agadir. This company is part of the China State Railway Group, a state-owned company specializing in railways. Three stations will also have to be built in Sidi Zouine, Chichaoua, and Agadir as part of this project. What about the impact of the project on the lives and daily lives of citizens? The travel time between the ochre city and Agadir will be reduced to only one hour and twenty minutes. The project requires an investment of around 50 billion dirhams.

Previously, CRDC was entrusted with carrying out a preliminary design study for an amount of 120 million dirhams. A contract obtained following the announcement by the National Railway Office (ONCF) of May 10 as the opening date for bids for the tender for the detailed design studies for the high-speed train project connecting Marrakech to Agadir, covering studies of infrastructure, civil engineering, railway equipment, railway operations and railway management systems.

The ONCF is dreaming big. The Office has developed a medium and long-term development plan to cover the entire national territory with a railway network. This plan takes into account economic growth, sectoral policy, sectoral plans, as well as future passenger and freight transport needs and the evolution of the urbanization rate. It plans the construction of 1,300 km of high-speed lines and 3,800 km of conventional railway lines to connect 43 Moroccan cities against 23 currently. Thus, the development of rail transport should reach 87% in the kingdom, against 51% currently.

To read: Morocco Advances Plans for $32 Million High-Speed Rail Link Between Marrakech and Agadir

In addition, it is planned to create 10 regional interchange centers as part of this plan, in order to improve the integration and coordination between the different modes of transport.

Update of February 6 : The ONCF has just denied having awarded the construction of the Marrakech - Agadir LGV line to a Chinese company.