Morocco's Al Boraq: Leading the Way in High-Speed Rail
In a recent episode of CBS's 60 Minutes, aired on April 5, the spotlight was placed on Morocco's Al Boraq high-speed train, highlighting it as a benchmark for modern rail engineering while juxtaposing it with the stagnant status of high-speed rail development in the United States. This segment, presented by Jon Wertheim, underscored Morocco's achievement in railway infrastructure, which has become a source of national pride since the train's launch on November 15, 2018. The Al Boraq service, Africa's first and only high-speed rail, connects major cities including Tangier, Kenitra, Rabat, and Casablanca, covering a distance of 323 kilometers.
The segment initiated with a striking observation from Wertheim, stating, "The very model of modern engineering, it hums across the fruited plains at a top speed of 200 miles an hour. It revolutionized travel; it's a source of national pride… in Morocco." In stark contrast, the report delved into California's high-speed rail project, which was approved by voters in 2008 with an estimated budget of $33 billion and a projected completion date of 2020. As of 2026, the project remains uninitiated, with no trains operational and no tracks laid, leading to concerns over a significant budget overruns now estimated at $126 billion.
During the episode, Wertheim posed a poignant question to Lou Thompson, co-founder of Amtrak, regarding the absence of high-speed rail in the U.S. despite its widespread adoption in over 20 countries. Thompson's response was straightforward: "The simple answer is they’ve decided they want to do it and pay for it, and we haven’t." This encapsulated the decisive approach taken by Morocco, which prioritized the establishment of its high-speed rail service, thereby enhancing connectivity and significantly reducing travel times, such as cutting the journey from Tangier to Casablanca from four hours and 45 minutes to just two hours and 10 minutes.
As of 2025, the Al Boraq service has successfully carried 5.6 million passengers, marking a 3% increase from the previous year and generating MAD 848 million ($84.8 million) in revenue within its first seven years of operation. The Moroccan government, recognizing the success of the current system, is now actively expanding the rail network. On April 24, 2025, King Mohammed VI inaugurated the construction of a new high-speed line connecting Kenitra and Marrakech, which is projected to reduce travel times further, allowing passengers to travel from Tangier to Marrakech in just two hours and 40 minutes.
This expansion is part of a larger MAD 96 billion ($9.6 billion) investment program aimed at overhauling the country's rail infrastructure. Recent contracts have been signed for the procurement of new trainsets, including 18 high-speed trains from Alstom, emphasizing Morocco's commitment to modernizing its railway system.
As reported by moroccoworldnews.com.
