Rabat Railway Station Renovation to Resume After 3-Year Delay, Design Modifications Planned

The resumption of work on the Rabat-ville railway station is imminent. A revision of the metal structure surrounding the station, the subject of controversy, as it threatens to destroy part of the wall of a monument in the city, is planned, reports the Arabic-language daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribia. Other scheduled work: the abandonment of several metal piles planned in the initial configuration. This will allow the new station to remain in line with the place occupied by Rabat in the UNESCO World Heritage.

This renovation operation was decided following a recent visit by the Director General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay. According to several sources, there had been tensions between the UN organization and Morocco due to certain urban planning projects carried out at the level of the capital, the initial design of which did not necessarily take into account the cultural requirements and threatened the cultural heritage of the city. This had almost cost Rabat its removal from the UNESCO World Heritage List. This episode is now a thing of the past.