The National Office of Railways (ONCF) is making significant strides in the ambitious Kénitra-Marrakech high-speed rail project, committing nearly 189 million dirhams towards two new contracts aimed at expediting the ongoing work. This project is crucial for Morocco, as the operational launch is targeted before the 2030 FIFA World Cup, with an investment goal of 96 billion dirhams to ensure readiness by November 2029.
Just a year after the official commencement of construction, marked by a ceremony led by the Sovereign in April 2025 at Rabat-Agdal station, the ONCF has issued major tenders focusing on the supply of accessibility equipment and technical coordination for the new stations and technicentres. This initiative underscores the project's status as the largest rail infrastructure endeavor in Morocco over the past decade. According to the daily newspaper L’Economiste, this strategic investment reflects a systematic approach to meeting the project timeline, which is set to culminate in late 2029.
To equip these future stations with modern and accessible facilities, ONCF has launched a public tender worth 180 million dirhams dedicated to the installation and operation of elevators and escalators for both passengers and technical teams. This contract is divided into four distinct geographic lots, covering various key locations such as Grand Stade Hassan II and Casablanca airport, as well as the stations in CasaSud and Marrakech Guéliz. The bid opening for these accessibility equipment contracts is scheduled for September 3.
Simultaneously, ONCF is seeking specialized contractors to oversee scheduling, management, and coordination of the construction work, an essential aspect to ensure adherence to timelines, budget control, and the maintenance of high-quality standards across all sites. This coordination task is divided into two lots valued at approximately 4.5 million dirhams each, focusing on the new terminal at Casablanca airport, the Marrakech Guéliz station, and the Green City station in Benguerir.
The selected contractor will provide comprehensive assistance to the project owner, overseeing market management and ensuring technical coherence throughout the execution period, which is planned for 30 months. This timeline aligns with the overall completion and provisional acceptance of the project.
Embedded in the strategic preparations for the 2030 World Cup, this national-scale project represents a total investment of 96 billion dirhams. In recent months, ONCF has intensified its efforts, allocating 500 million dirhams for civil engineering works, 300 million dirhams for railway construction, and 104 million dirhams for electrical connections. Such coordinated actions reflect a sustained execution pace aimed at delivering an operational high-speed rail line by the fall of 2029.
As reported by fr.le360.ma.
