High-speed rail line Kénitra–Marrakech: Morocco receives its first 36-meter rails

The kingdom is about to import 6,457 36-meter steel rails, manufactured in China. The border control services of the Bayuquan post, under the General Station of the Border Police of Liaoning, have worked tirelessly for the departure of these 36-meter rails from the port of Bayuquan, in the Liaoning province, on November 15, for Morocco. This is indeed the first shipment of rails for the Moroccan high-speed train project entrusted to China Railway Material Group Hong Kong Macau Co.

This cargo represents 13,000 tons of domestically manufactured high-speed rail equipment, destined for a key cooperation project of the "Belt and Road" initiative between China and Morocco, according to Chinese media. "In order to allow the ships to start operations as soon as they arrive, we have set up a reservation system, strengthened the workforce and ensured real-time communication. This has simultaneously improved our control capabilities and passage efficiency, while reducing operating costs for companies," explained Liu Yankai, head of the Bayuquan post service team.

Measures such as "contactless approval" and "paperless customs clearance" have also been applied to simplify procedures and reduce delays, so that ships can enter without waiting, load immediately and depart without delay.

The Kénitra-Marrakech high-speed line represents the second phase of Morocco’s high-speed rail network development program. This line will connect Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech, serving the two airports with trains capable of reaching 350 km/h. Travel times will be reduced to 1 hour between Tangier and Rabat, 1 hour 40 minutes to Casablanca and 2 hours 40 minutes to Marrakech. In April, King Mohammed VI officially launched the construction work at the Rabat-Agdal station for this 430-kilometer project, costing 53 billion dirhams (5.3 billion dollars).