Home > Morocco > Spain wants to sell its "TGV" to Morocco
Spain wants to sell its "TGV" to Morocco
Tuesday 5 March 2024, by
Spain wants to take an active part in the project to expand the Moroccan rail network, especially the high-speed lines. The subject was on the agenda of a meeting between Mohamed Abdeljalil, Moroccan Minister of Transport and Logistics, and his Spanish counterpart Óscar Puente, on a working visit to Rabat.
The call for tenders launched by the National Railway Office (ONCF) to acquire 168 new trains (150 trains for inter-city services, Rapid Shuttle Trains and Metros, as well as 18 High-Speed Trains for the extension of more than 400 kilometers of the current line to the southern city of Marrakech) with an investment of 16 billion dirhams (MMDH) whets the appetites of Spain. The Spanish company Talgo has already shown its interest in the project. On Monday, Óscar Puente, the Spanish Minister of Transport, met in Rabat with his Moroccan counterpart, Mohamed Abdeljalil, to express his country’s interest in the project.
"Morocco is expanding this network in a project where Spain aspires to play an important role. We are a leading country in the railway sector, our high-speed is very important, because we are the first country in the world in high-speed connectivity per population and the second in kilometers after China," said the Spanish minister. To convince Morocco, he will add that Spain masters "the three fundamental characteristics for a project to succeed: we are good, beautiful and cheap. [...] It is the success of our high-speed and we want to pass on to Morocco our knowledge and experience in this field."
Stating that "Spain is a pioneer country in high-speed," Óscar Puente assures that his country "has very strong companies that will compete with the rest of the countries" to win the ONCF market. He also stressed that the relationship with Morocco is a "priority" for Spain, as "it represents a huge opportunity for the development of this entire part of the world so important." And to continue: "What Morocco does in the future largely depends on the development of this entire part of the globe."
After his meeting with his Moroccan counterpart, Mohamed Abdeljalil, and the Moroccan Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, Óscar Puente visits the headquarters of Alsa on Tuesday. Present in Morocco for thirty years, the Spanish transport company transports millions of passengers in large cities like Casablanca and Rabat.