Morocco Advances Plans for Regional Express Rail Networks in Casablanca and Rabat Areas

After bus and tram services, the regions of Casablanca-Settat and Rabat-Salé-Kénitra will soon be equipped with a regional express network. Launched by the National Railway Office (ONCF), at the request of the two regions, this project will be carried out at the same time as the high-speed line, says Mohammed Smouni, Deputy Managing Director of ONCF during an event organized at the end of January by the association of Centraliens and Supélec of Morocco. Currently, the stakeholders are looking for funding. "During our discussions with the two regions, the issue of financing came up," he confides to Médias24, assuring that they will eventually find a solution. "[...] We agreed to take advantage of the high-speed line project to also start the RER project. We will touch the existing railway installations and the operating fund," he explained. "As much as take the opportunity to carry out a global vision." He further assures: "This time, it won’t be a makeshift job. We have carried out this mass transit project as it should be. When the current conventional network is relieved, it will have to be upgraded to a certain level to improve performance and be able to implement an RER in the two regions of Casablanca-Settat and Rabat-Salé-Kénitra."

What about the itinerary in the two regions? As for the Casablanca-Settat region, the RER will have to connect the city of Mohammedia to Nouaceur. A timed service to the Mohammed V airport and a new rail link to the new Casablanca stadium in Benslimane, as well as the strengthening of services to Settat and El Jadida, are planned. In terms of frequency, "we will have trains every 7 minutes and 30 seconds and 15 minutes, depending on the route," specifies Mohammed Smouni. A train will have to run every 15 minutes between Mohammedia faculties and Nouaceur, and between Casa-Port and Nouaceur and every 7 minutes and 30 seconds between Casa-voyageurs and the Nouaceur hub. The train will make the shuttle to the Casablanca airport every 15 minutes and every 30 minutes on the Casablanca-Settat and Casablanca-El Jadida axis.

In Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, the RER will have to leave Kénitra to go as far as Skhirat. The cities of Salé, Rabat, Témara and Aïn Atiq, with a service every 15 minutes. It is planned to maintain the shuttle trains between Casablanca-Rabat and Kénitra at a rate of two trains per hour. A train will run every 30 minutes for the shuttle train between Kénitra and Sidi Kacem. In total, "we will have three lines at the level of the Casablanca-Settat region. One that will connect Benslimane to the Casablanca airport, a second that will go from Mohammedia to Casa-Port via Zenata, Aïn Sebaâ and Bernoussi, and a third from Casa-Port," said Mohammed Smouni. A single line is planned for the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region, which requires the construction of about forty stations.

According to the studies carried out on the basis of the Urban Development Plan (PDU), the number of passengers/per day should reach 180,000 by 2030 in the Casablanca-Settat region. "We project to have 41 to 53 million trips per year. This will depend on the price of the RER," explained Smouni. In terms of market share, it will represent 27% to 32% in passenger-kilometers." In Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, 150,000 passengers per day are expected by 2040. We also expect a 37% market share in passenger-kilometers. This is not negligible to have a dedicated public transport system, with a minimum decent service."