Morocco’s Railway Revolution: 20 Billion Dirham Upgrade Transforms Transportation

Costing 20 billion dirhams, the program will be financed 70% by the National Railway Office (ONCF) and 30% by the Casablanca region. The program includes the construction of three main next-generation railway stations, ten new stations for urban commuter trains, and the rehabilitation and adaptation of five stations dedicated to commuter trains. It also includes the construction of 260 kilometers of new railway lines, the widening of 50 engineering structures, the creation of two technical centers (Zenata and Nouaceur) and five maintenance workshops, as well as the acquisition of 48 new trains for commuter and regional transport services.

The "Casablanca-Sud" station, whose construction was launched by King Mohammed VI on Wednesday in the Hay Hassani district, will require an investment of 700 million dirhams. This next-generation station will have an annual capacity of 12 million passengers, with six platforms and ten railway tracks to accommodate the high-speed "Al Boraq" trains, urban commuter trains, and regional trains. The second next-generation station is the one at the "Hassan II" grand stadium in Benslimane. Costing around 450 million dirhams, it will be able to accommodate up to 12 million passengers per year. The third station is the one at the Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, which will require an investment of 300 million dirhams and will have a capacity of 5 million passengers per year. These three major next-generation stations are expected to be completed within 24 months.

The urban commuter train stations will contribute to strengthening mobility in Casablanca and its region thanks to the new commuter rail service that will be operational by 2030 and will allow a frequency of one train every 7.5 minutes. Specifically, three main lines totaling 92 km will be developed to ensure efficient connection between the main urban and suburban hubs, with guaranteed access to strategic sites such as the Hassan II grand stadium and the Mohammed V International Airport. The construction work on the ten new stations will be carried out in 20 months and is expected to cost 625 million dirhams. These stations are "Mohammedia-Universités", "Zenata", "Sidi Bernoussi", "Aïn Sebaâ", "Hay Mohammadi", "Ville Nouvelle", "Mers Sultan", "L’Oasis", "Sidi Maarouf" and "Nouaceur". The existing stations will be modernized to be fully integrated into the urban commuter rail network.

Once operational, the commuter trains will be able to transport up to 150,000 passengers per day on the three lines. The "Aéro-Express" train will provide a direct connection between the Casablanca-Port station and the Mohammed V International Airport with shuttles every 15 minutes. Also, the regional train service will be strengthened on the El Jadida and Settat axes with shuttles every 30 minutes. The program also provides for the acquisition from Hyundai Rotem of 48 trainsets with a capacity of over 1,000 seats and a speed of 160 km/h, at a cost of 7 billion dirhams (excluding taxes). The South Korean manufacturer will set up a train manufacturing plant in the kingdom. In total, the objective of this royal program is to improve the transport system and strengthen urban mobility, thus contributing to the socio-economic development of the region.