Morocco’s High-Speed Rail Service Halted by COVID-19 After Record-Breaking Year

Al Boraq recorded 3 million passengers in 2019, its first year of operation. A real commercial success. "Since Al Boraq has been operational, I am no longer attacked by the press, so I conclude that this project is a success that was worth waiting for," rejoiced Mohamed Rabie Khlie, CEO of the National Railway Office (ONCF) when presenting the results of the first year of operation of the high-speed train.

In early 2020, the railway’s prosperity continued. The TGV transported nearly 9 million passengers on all its lines in the first quarter of the year, which helped revive rail transport in the country. On a 12-month rolling basis, passenger revenue had recorded a 35.3% increase, reaching 1.6 billion dirhams ($165 million) at the end of 2019.

This success will be short-lived. The appearance of covid-19 is hitting the rail transport hard. The Moroccan authorities decided to suspend TGV traffic on March 23, 2020, and then close the Rabat-Agdal and Salé-Tabriquet stations on April 18. No more activity, no more profitability. Revenue is collapsing.

In early June, the rail network is slowly coming back to life, but Al Boraq is still at a standstill.