Morocco’s national rail operator said yesterday that it would spend $2.9bn on some 168 trains from Spanish, French and Korean suppliers, Reuters reports.
ONCF said the equipment would be supplied by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), Hyundai Rotem and Alstom, and would be running on the country’s extended high-speed and regional networks in time for the 2030 FIFA World Cup finals, which Morocco is co-hosting with Spain and Portugal.
The package includes 18 high-speed trains from Alstom, fulfilling a deal announced during Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Rabat in October.
Morocco has one 350km/h line in operation between the cities of Tangier and Casablanca, built by Alstom and completed in 2018. It is planning a second that will extend 400km from Kenitra on the coast to Marrakesh in the interior (see further reading).
The contract with CAF is for 30 intercity trains, with an option for a further 10; the deal with Hyundai Rotem is for 110 commuter trains.
ONCF said the purchases were intended to contribute to “the successful joint organisation of the 2030 FIFA World Cup”.
It added that it was planning to build its own factory to make commuter trains and had “the ambition to export trains in the medium and long term”.
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