King Mohammed VI officially kicked off work to extend the Moroccan high-speed line (LGV) in the direction of Marrakech on Thursday in Rabat. Objective: commissioning before the 2030 World Cup, which the kingdom will co-organize with Spain and Portugal

At a cost of 53 billion dirhams (excluding rolling stock), the project is part of a global program of 96 billion dirhams (9.1 billion €). It also includes the acquisition of 168 new trains to strengthen the fleet of the Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF) and support the prospects for passenger traffic growth by 2030. The new LGV section will connect Rabat to Marrakech via Casablanca, while serving Rabat and Casablanca airports, as well as the future Benslimane stadium

The line was designed for speeds of up to 350 km/h, which will connect Tangier to Rabat in one hour, to Casablanca in 1 hour 40 minutes, and to Marrakech in 2 hours 40 minutes, and Marrakech in 2 hours 40 minutes — a gain of more than two hours compared to the conventional network. The trip from Rabat to Mohammed V Airport will only take 35 minutes. An interconnection is also planned with Fez, allowing a high speed service to Marrakech in 3h40 via a mix between conventional line

With the inauguration of the first African high-speed line in 2018 between Tangier and Kenitra, Morocco has already established itself as a precursor. This first section, called Al Boraq, built in partnership with the French SNCF and the manufacturer Alstom, marked a major step forward. Today, the extension to the south of the country reinforces this dynamic by integrating the main cities and strategic infrastructures of the kingdom into a network of fast, modern and low-carbon mobility