Ligne à grande vitesse au Maroc

Africa’s first high-speed line is a triumph

Morocco’s first high-speed rail line was inaugurated in November 2018. It connects Casablanca and Tangier via Rabat, reducing the journey from 4h45 to just 2h10. We revisit this milestone in African rail history.

  • Casablanca - Tangier

    186km

    Phase 1 of Morocco’s Atlantic high-speed rail project

  • Casablanca - Tangier

    357km/h

    African rail speed record

  • TGV au Maroc

    Casablanca - Tangier

    in 2h10

    vs 4h45 previously

A singular partnership

The Casablanca-Rabat-Tangier link is Phase 1 of a projected 1,500-km high-speed network by 2030. To meet the challenge, Morocco called in SNCF for its expertise in designing, building, operating and maintaining what would become the Al Boraq line.

Working hand in hand

Starting in 2009, SNCF and Morocco’s ONCF formed teams for each major task, pairing local experts with high-speed rail know-how. The partners also created a training centre: Institut de Formation Ferroviaire (IFF).

  • Chantier SNCF Réseau au Maroc

    90

    SNCF engineers spent 9 years on the project

  • 6 million

    passengers projected annually

  • €9 million

    per km built, one of the lowest costs in the world

Viaducts and more bridges

The line crosses several flood plains and required 286 engineering works, including 13 viaducts. The most prominent of these is El Hachef, a 3.5km structure south of Tangier that cost €100 million.

What comes next?

New projects on the horizon:

  • extending high-speed service from Kenitra to Rabat
  • building a second high-speed line from Marrakech to Agadir and then on to Casablanca
  • launching a commuter rail system for Casablanca and its suburbs
  • building and renovating maintenance facilities