Morocco’s Minister of Transport and Logistics, Abdessamad Kayouh, announced on Monday that travel time between Tangier and Marrakech will be reduced to less than three hours under the country’s new high-speed rail expansion program.
Speaking before the House of Representatives on May 25, Kayouh said the journey is expected to take around two hours and 40 minutes once the project is completed.
The minister said Morocco, through the National Railway Office (ONCF), is rolling out an ambitious railway development strategy ahead of 2030, with a total investment estimated at MAD 96 billion ($10.4 billion).
The program includes the construction of a new high-speed railway line designed for trains operating at speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour. It also предусматривает the modernization of several railway stations in the regions of Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech, alongside the construction of new high-speed and regional train stations.
A dedicated maintenance center for high-speed trains will also be built in Marrakech.
According to Kayouh, the new Kenitra–Marrakech high-speed rail line will stretch over nearly 430 kilometers and require an investment of MAD 53 billion.
The government also plans to purchase 168 new trains at a cost of MAD 29 billion, while allocating an additional MAD 14 billion to support the high-speed rail system and maintain the efficiency of the existing railway network.
The minister said the project will significantly reduce travel times between major Moroccan cities. Travel between Tangier and Rabat is expected to take just one hour, while the Tangier–Casablanca route will be shortened to one hour and 40 minutes.
The expanded network will also reduce travel time between Mohammed V International Airport and Rabat to 35 minutes, with a direct connection planned to the new stadium in Benslimane.
Kayouh added that the program will introduce a new high-speed service linking Fez and Kenitra through trains operating on conventional rail lines connected to the high-speed network. The project is expected to reduce travel time between Fez and Marrakech, via Kenitra, to approximately three hours and 40 minutes.
