French Companies Eye Moroccan High-Speed Rail Projects Ahead of 2030 World Cup

Traveling with the Medef to Rabat, the French Minister of Economy, Bruno Le Maire, expressed on April 26 France’s interest in the high-speed train projects that Morocco is implementing as part of the co-organization of the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal. One of these projects is the extension of the high-speed rail line connecting Kénitra to Marrakech. Designed for a maximum speed of 350 km/h, the Kénitra-Marrakech line will be operated at 320 km/h, over a distance of about 450 km. It is planned to directly connect Tangier to Marrakech without going through Casablanca. Two itineraries have been proposed for the arrival of the train 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 a distribution center. The Kénitra-Marrakech TGV project aims to revolutionize travel between the two cities. It is an integral part of the ONCF’s colossal plan to interconnect the cities, ports and airports of Morocco via high-speed rail links operating at speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour. Its cost is estimated at more than 50 billion dirhams.

Egis is delighted with this visit by Minister Bruno Le Maire. "We can finally breathe, says Arnaud de Rugy, the group’s Africa director, to Le Monde. It was crucial for us that cooperation resume, even though we continued to work in these difficult times." The French group opened its continental subsidiary in Casablanca two years ago, in the midst of a crisis between France and Morocco. It is the main partner of the National Railway Office (ONCF) in the field of high-speed trains. For 15 years, it has been supporting Morocco on high-speed rail line projects. The ONCF has also entrusted Egis with the mission of assistance in the management of the Kénitra-Marrakech TGV project. According to the engineering company, the extension of the new line over 430 kilometers will make the completion of the studies in a relatively short time a "real challenge".