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Morocco to invest $9.5bn in rail network projects

Morocco rail Creative Commons/Wikimedia/Kabelleger
Morocco has a target of connecting 43 cities, 12 airports and 12 sea ports by 2040
  • High-speed rail project
  • Target of connecting 43 cities
  • Plan for 150 new trains

Morocco is planning to invest nearly 96 billion Moroccan dirhams ($9.5 billion) in projects to expand its rail network in the next five years, the transport and logistics minister was reported on Thursday as saying.

Abdul Samad Qayuh told parliament on Tuesday that 53 billion dirhams would be spent on the planned high-speed rail project and about 29 billion dirhams on the purchase of 150 new trains.

About 14 billion dirhams will also be allocated for the construction of 40 new train stations, Qayuh said in his remarks, which were published on Thursday by Sabah Akadir newspaper and other local publications.

“These investments are part of a master plan stretching until 2040 for the development of the national rail network, including linking more cities,” he said.

The minister said Morocco has a target of connecting 43 cities, 12 airports and 12 sea ports by 2040, adding that the rail system currently covers 23 cities, one airport and six ports.

In November, Morocco announced the awarding of contracts worth about $1.86 billion for the high-speed rail project that involves the construction of a 430-kilometre railway from the western Marrakesh city to Kenitra in the northwest through Casablanca on the Atlantic Ocean.

Most of the contracts were awarded to Chinese firms.

Qayuh said around 42 billion dirhams would also be invested in airport expansions until 2030, including increasing the operational capacity of Casablanca airport to 44 million passengers a year.

Morocco has been locked in a drive to develop its logistics sector as it braces to co-host World Cup games in 2030 along with Spain and Portugal.

Last month, the African Development Bank (ADB) said the high-speed rail project in Morocco has garnered significant investment attention, with financing offers exceeding $13 billion, well above the $8.8 billion target set by the government.

Akinwumi Adesina, president of ADB, said the strategic project is one of the “major successes of this edition,” which attracted a total of $29.2 billion of investment interest across various projects on the continent.

In statements in December, Qayuh said Morocco needs 168 trains for steady business growth. He said 150 trains would be deployed in urban areas and 18 would serve high-speed networks.

 “Morocco is pursuing plans to pump heavy investments into the rail infrastructure to accommodate the rapid increase in passengers,” the minister said.

Morocco also announced this week that it will invest 42 billion dirhams in airport expansion by 2030.