Morocco Accelerates High-Speed Rail Project Ahead of 2030 World Cup

The project of the new Ligne grande vitesse (LGV) Kenitra-Marrakech is progressing rapidly. The Chinese company CRSBG has been selected to carry out the operations of the normal track section with a contract estimated at around 350 million dirhams. The German company Vossloh Cogifer is entrusted with the supply of the expansion devices for the engineering structures for a contract of around 25.9 million dirhams. A task it will have to perform between 12 and 48 months.

Designed for a maximum speed of 350 km/h, the line connecting Kenitra 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 in three hours, instead of more than seven hours currently. Two routes have been proposed for the train’s arrival in Casablanca. It is also planned that the high-speed train line will pass through an alternative route to Benslimane (the stadium) towards Nouaceur. This will host the establishment of a new station or distribution center. According to the CEO of the National Railway Office (ONCF), Rabie Khlie, this new train line would be ready by the end of 2029, a few months before the kick-off of the 2030 World Cup that Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.