Africa’s only high-speed rail service is getting an extension sure to excite devotees of the railway, in what’s being described as part of a “strategic vision for sustainable, inclusive and competitive mobility, driven by a future-oriented continental ambition.”
In plans unveiled on Thursday 24 April, His Majesty King Mohammed VI announced plans for the Kenitra-Marrakech High-Speed Rail Line.
These plans build on the existing Al Boraq high-speed train, which connects Casablanca and Tangier within just over two hours.
The project reflects Morocco’s vision of improving its national rail service and an emphasis on sustainable development, promoting low-carbon footprint solutions for the country’s invaluable tourism industry. The 430-kilometre line should encourage Moroccans and international visitors, of whom there were an estimated 17 million in 2024, to make more eco-conscious choices on their sun-soaked escapes.
However, all this work won’t come cheap. The structuring project has a budget of MAD 53 billion (around £4.2 billion), excluding stock. Furthermore, it forms part of a wider, more ambitious project for which MAD 96 billion (around £7.75 billion) has been allocated to. The published breakdown includes the acquisition of 168 trains for MAD 29 billion (around £2.3 billion) and a maintenance budget of MAD 14 billion (around £1.1 billion).
The new project aims to shorten travel times between Tangier and Rabat for around one hour, journeys from Tangier to Casablanca to one hour and 40 minutes, and those between Tangier and Marrakech to two hours and 40 minutes. Rabat will also be linked to Casablanca's Mohammed V International Airport in 35 minutes, while serving the new Benslimane stadium.
The most impressive distance covered will be the high-speed service between Fez and Marrakech, reducing journey times between the popular cities to just three hours and 40 minutes. This is great news for potential visitors torn between which colourful destination to explore, making dual-city breaks all the more accessible.
While officials were hesitant to provide an official opening date for the new services, the improvements are designed to meet the increase in traffic expected by 2030.