Morocco secures US$463.1M AfDB funding for rail expansion
The network is expected to serve 43 major cities, up from 23 today, and reach 87% of the population, compared with 51% today.
MOROCCO – Morocco and the African Development Bank have signed two financing agreements worth a combined €405 million (approximately US$463.1 million) to expand its high-speed rail network and upgrade conventional rail lines, in Rabat on September 17, the AfDB said.
Of the total, €200 million (approximately US$229.3 million) will support the “Cap Compétences 2030” program, while the remaining €205 million (approximately US$235.1 million) will finance the Railway Infrastructure Development Support Project (PADIF) for the Kenitra-Marrakech corridor.
Rail expansion under Morocco Rail Plan 2040
The €205 million financing comes as Morocco enters a new phase of railway expansion. PADIF aims to increase capacity and improve operations along the Kenitra-Marrakech corridor by extending the high-speed rail line and modernizing existing infrastructure.
The project is part of the Morocco Rail Plan 2040, which combines projects to modernize the current network, extend conventional rail lines, create new port connections, and develop high-speed rail lines.
In the long term, the network is expected to serve 43 major cities, up from 23 today, and reach 87% of the population, compared with 51% today.
The Al Boraq line, which entered service between Tangier and Casablanca in 2018, marked the first step in that strategy. Extending the line to Marrakech would turn high-speed rail from a northern corridor into a network spanning farther across the country.
Programme value and train purchases
The Kenitra-Marrakech project spans 430 kilometers. ONCF said the new high-speed line is a pillar of a national railway program valued at 96 billion dirhams (US$10.1 billion).
Of that amount, 53 billion dirhams (approximately US$5.6 billion) is allocated to infrastructure and equipment, 29 billion (approximately US$3.04 billion) to acquiring 168 trains, and 14 billion (approximately US$1.5 billion) to maintaining the existing network’s performance.
Connectivity and modal integration
The high-speed extension is expected to free up capacity on conventional lines. ONCF plans to expand commuter rail services in Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakech, with more frequent trains for metropolitan travel.
Lastly, the Morocco Rail Plan 2040 calls for a network centered on multimodal transport hubs and aims to increase the number of ports connected to the rail network from six to 12 and the number of connected international airports from six to 15.
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