Chinese Firm Wins Contract for Morocco’s Kénitra-Marrakech High-Speed Rail Project

A new step towards the realization of the Kénitra-Marrakech TGV. The National Railway Office (ONCF) has awarded the first lot of civil engineering works for the Kénitra-Marrakech High-Speed Line (LGV) megaproject, which includes earthworks, engineering structures, the restoration of communication and fencing, to the Chinese public operator China Railway NO.4 Engineering (CREC 4). This subsidiary of the Chinese public group CRRC, the world’s number one in railway rolling stock, submitted the lowest bid, i.e. 3.4 billion dirhams (MMDH), reports Le360. The GRPT SNCE/CAPEP/SEPROB consortium submitted an offer of 4 MMDH, GTR 4.2 MMDH, STAM 4.1 MMDH, China Railway 20 TH Bureau Group 3.9 MMDH, GPRT NGE Contracting/Guintoli 4.2 MMDH, China Overseas Engineering Group 3.9 MMDH and TGCC 4.2 MMDH.

Designed for a maximum speed of 350 km/h, the line connecting Kénitra to Marrakech will be operated at 320 km/h, over a route of about 450 km. It is planned to directly connect Tangier to Marrakech without going through Casablanca. Two routes have been proposed for the train’s arrival in Casablanca. It is also planned that the high-speed rail line will pass through an alternative route in Benslimane (the stadium) towards Nouaceur. This will host the establishment of a new station or distribution center.