China's Major Contribution to Morocco's High-Speed Rail Expansion
On September 22, 2026, it was reported by the Chinese news agency Xinhua that a specialized Chinese railway equipment company has successfully completed the shipment of 575 sets of track transformers intended for the high-speed rail project linking Kenitra and Marrakech. This initiative is part of Morocco's broader strategy to expand its high-speed rail network southward, building upon the existing line that connects Tangier to Kenitra.
The fourth and final batch, consisting of 111 sets, departed from the city of Qinhuangdao in Hebei Province, China, and is being manufactured by China Railway Shanghai Group, a subsidiary of the China Railway Industry Group. With this shipment, the Chinese company has fulfilled the entire equipment supply agreement, which has been distributed across four shipments. The first shipments left Chinese territory in November 2025 and included 80 sets, with installation operations commencing in Morocco in April 2026.
The Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed rail project spans approximately 430 kilometers and is designed for a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour. This new line is expected to serve as a southern extension of the current network, which connects Tangier to Kenitra, passing through Rabat and Casablanca before reaching Marrakech.
Furthermore, the contract does not solely involve the supply of equipment; it also marks the first transfer of high-speed railway transformer technology from China to the African continent. This comprehensive system includes manufacturing, technology transfer, quality control, and local supply, moving beyond the traditional model of exporting equipment as standalone items. The new line is anticipated to be operational by the end of 2029, as part of Morocco's ongoing railway infrastructure development program.
As reported by ar.industries.ma.
