Morocco’s railway expansion is entering its execution phase.
One year after the launch of the country’s 96 billion dirham rail programme, ONCF reported substantial progress across the new high-speed line, rolling-stock acquisition and metropolitan transport projects.
The programme includes 53 billion dirhams for the 430-kilometre high-speed connection between Kenitra and Marrakech, 29 billion dirhams for 168 new-generation trains and 14 billion dirhams to maintain and strengthen the existing network.
By mid-2026, close to 30% of the high-speed project had reportedly been completed.
The scale is historic.
But ONCF’s real objective is not simply to build a faster railway.
It is to change the economic meaning of distance inside Morocco.
Time Is The Main Product
Passengers do not purchase railway infrastructure.
They purchase time, reliability and access.
A faster connection between Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech can change how people work, travel and invest.
A business traveller may complete a return journey without staying overnight.
A tourist can combine several destinations during one trip.
A company can recruit employees from a wider area.
Families can travel more frequently without depending entirely on cars or domestic flights.
The value of the programme will therefore not be measured only in kilometres of track.
It will be measured in hours returned to passengers and businesses.
Marrakech Will Enter A New Travel Corridor
The extension of high-speed rail to Marrakech is especially important because the city is one of Morocco’s strongest tourism destinations.
Today, many international visitors arrive through Casablanca before continuing by road, conventional train or domestic flight.
A faster rail connection can make that journey easier.
The planned line will also serve Mohammed V International Airport, creating a more direct relationship between aviation and rail.
This matters for travellers arriving from destinations without direct flights to Marrakech.
Instead of treating Casablanca as an inconvenient transfer point, Morocco can offer one connected journey from the airport to the city centre.
The railway becomes part of the tourism product.
Airports Need Rail, Not Only Roads
Major airports generate concentrated transport demand.
Passengers arrive with luggage and fixed departure times.
Road congestion creates uncertainty.
A reliable railway connection can reduce that risk.
The future link between Rabat and Casablanca’s main airport is expected to cut the journey to approximately 35 minutes.
That can strengthen the airport’s role as a national gateway rather than one serving only the Casablanca region.
But the passenger journey must be seamless.
Train schedules should reflect major flight periods.
Tickets should be easy to purchase in several languages.
Stations need luggage-friendly access.
Airlines, airports and ONCF should exchange information during disruptions.
A railway line becomes genuinely useful when the transfer is designed around the traveller rather than around separate institutions.
The 168 New Trains Will Shape The Experience
Infrastructure receives most of the attention, but passengers experience the train itself.
ONCF’s acquisition programme includes high-speed, intercity and metropolitan rolling stock supplied through international industrial partnerships.
The trains must provide more capacity, better comfort and stronger reliability.
But their value will depend on maintenance.
A modern fleet can deteriorate quickly when spare parts, technical skills and workshop capacity do not keep pace.
ONCF must therefore build the complete operating ecosystem around the purchase.
Driver training.
Maintenance technicians.
Diagnostic systems.
Parts inventories.
Cleaning.
Digital passenger information.
The programme is not completed when the trains arrive.
It is completed when they operate reliably for decades.
Local Industry Must Capture More Value
The train contracts include an industrial-development component intended to strengthen Morocco’s railway ecosystem.
This is strategically important.
A country can purchase trains and remain dependent on imported technology.
Or it can use procurement to build local capability.
Assembly.
Component manufacturing.
Maintenance.
Engineering.
Software.
Testing.
The objective should not be local content for symbolic reasons.
Moroccan suppliers must reach the quality, certification and delivery standards required by the international railway industry.
Once achieved, those capabilities can serve ONCF and potentially export to African or European markets.
The 168-train programme should therefore be judged partly by the industrial expertise it leaves behind.
Metropolitan Rail Can Change Daily Life
The wider investment programme also includes urban and suburban rail networks around Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech.
This may have an even greater daily impact than high-speed travel.
Millions of journeys occur within metropolitan areas.
Workers travel between homes, industrial zones, offices and universities.
Road congestion consumes time and raises transport costs.
A frequent metropolitan rail service can connect outer districts with employment centres more efficiently.
But frequency will determine usefulness.
A train arriving every hour cannot function like urban transport.
Passengers need dependable, regular services integrated with buses, trams and taxis.
The objective is not merely adding railway stations.
It is creating a network people can use without organising their entire day around one departure.
Stations Can Become Economic Centres
Railway stations occupy valuable urban locations and receive continuous pedestrian traffic.
They can support retail, food, offices, hotels and public services.
A well-designed station creates revenue while improving the passenger experience.
But commercial development should not obstruct movement.
Passengers need clear access to platforms, tickets and transport connections.
The strongest model separates commercial value from operational friction.
Smaller cities may also benefit from station redevelopment.
A station can attract activity towards an underused district and support surrounding property investment.
ONCF therefore has the opportunity to become not only a transport operator but also a disciplined developer of mobility-centred urban assets.
Tourism Must Spread Beyond The Main Cities
Faster rail links can help distribute visitors more widely.
Many tourists concentrate on Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat, Fez and Tangier.
Rail can make secondary destinations easier to include.
But a station alone does not create tourism demand.
Local transport, accommodation, attractions and information must also be available.
ONCF can work with tourism authorities and local operators to create integrated offers.
Train plus hotel.
Train plus event.
Train plus local transport.
Weekend packages.
These products can encourage domestic and international travellers to explore more of the country.
The railway should not only move existing demand faster.
It can help create new travel patterns.
Reliability Will Matter More Than Maximum Speed
A train capable of travelling at high speed creates limited value when delays are frequent.
Business travellers and tourists plan around arrival times.
ONCF must protect punctuality as the network becomes more complex.
Construction work, high-speed services, conventional trains, freight and metropolitan operations may share connected infrastructure.
One disruption can affect several routes.
Digital traffic management, preventive maintenance and rapid incident response will therefore become essential.
Passengers generally accept that exceptional problems occur.
They lose confidence when communication is unclear or disruptions become routine.
The strongest railway is not the one advertising the highest speed.
It is the one passengers trust.
Pricing Must Preserve Broad Access
High-speed rail can save significant time, but pricing will influence who benefits.
Premium fares may be justified for certain services and customer segments.
The network must also remain accessible to families, students and ordinary workers.
A balanced structure can include several classes, advance-purchase discounts and off-peak pricing.
Metropolitan services require a different approach.
Daily commuters need affordable subscriptions and integration with other transport modes.
ONCF should avoid treating every railway product as one market.
A tourist purchasing a high-speed ticket and a worker using suburban rail have different needs and budgets.
The Network Must Remain Inclusive
New stations and trains should work for passengers with reduced mobility, older travellers and families with children.
Lifts.
Ramps.
Clear signage.
Accessible toilets.
Platform assistance.
Simple ticketing.
Multilingual information.
These are not secondary features.
A national transport system should allow as many people as possible to use it independently.
Digital booking must also be complemented by physical assistance for customers who cannot or do not want to use an application.
Modernisation should remove barriers rather than replace one barrier with another.
Freight Cannot Be Forgotten
Passenger rail receives more public visibility, especially before major international events.
Freight remains essential to industrial competitiveness.
Rail can move large volumes between ports, factories and logistics zones while reducing road pressure.
ONCF must ensure that passenger expansion does not weaken freight capacity.
Dedicated paths, terminals and scheduling can protect both activities.
The wider economic benefit of the railway programme will increase when manufacturers and exporters also gain more predictable logistics.
A train carrying passengers saves individual time.
A freight train can reduce costs across an entire supply chain.
The World Cup Is A Deadline, Not The Final Purpose
The 2030 FIFA World Cup has accelerated investment.
It provides a fixed date and international visibility.
But the railway will operate long after the final match.
Stations, trains and tracks must therefore be designed around ordinary Moroccan demand.
Daily commuting.
Business travel.
Domestic tourism.
Student mobility.
Freight.
Airport access.
A project built only for tournament peaks risks underperforming afterwards.
The strongest legacy will be a network that becomes more useful every year after 2030.
The 96 Billion Dirham Test
ONCF is delivering one of Morocco’s largest transport transformations.
The new high-speed line will connect major economic and tourism centres.
The 168 trains will renew and expand the fleet.
Metropolitan services can improve daily mobility.
Airport connections can strengthen international access.
The opportunity is far larger than faster journeys.
Rail can change where people live, where companies invest and how tourists move through the country.
But success will depend on more than construction.
ONCF must deliver reliability, integration, affordable access, industrial development and a consistently strong passenger experience.
Morocco is investing 96 billion dirhams in railway capacity.
The return will be measured in something even more valuable:
The amount of national time the network gives back.