May 6, 2024 – 08:00 – Morocco
The recent trip of Bruno Le Maire, the French Minister of Economy and Finance, to Morocco offers hope for the French engineering group Egis, with a branch in Casablanca. Egis is the main partner of the Moroccan railway company ONCF in the field of high-speed trains.
During his visit to Rabat with the French employers’ organization Medef on April 26, Le Maire showed France’s interest in the high-speed train projects that Morocco is carrying out in the context of the joint organization of the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal. One of these projects is the extension of the high-speed line between Kenitra and Marrakech. The line, designed for a maximum speed of 350 km/h, will be operated at a speed of 320 km/h on a route of approximately 450 km. The plans are to connect Tangier directly to Marrakech without going via Casablanca. Two routes have been proposed for the train’s arrival in Casablanca. The high-speed line will also go via an alternative route past Benslimane (new stadium) to Nouaceur. A new station or distribution center will be built here.
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The Kenitra-Marrakech HSL project should revolutionize the journey between the two cities. It is part of the ONCF’s ambitious plan to connect Morocco’s cities, ports and airports with high-speed lines capable of reaching speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour. The cost is estimated at more than 50 billion dirhams.
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Egis is pleased with the visit of Minister Le Maire. “We can finally breathe again,” said Arnaud de Rugy, Africa director of the French group Le Monde. “It was crucial for us that cooperation resumed, even as we continued to work during these difficult times.” The French group opened its continental branch in Casablanca two years ago, in the middle of the crisis between France and Morocco. Egis is the ONCF’s most important partner in the field of high-speed trains. The company has been supporting Morocco with high-speed projects for 15 years. The ONCF has also commissioned Egis to assist with the project management of the Kenitra-Marrakech HSL. According to the engineering firm, the extension of the new line by 430 kilometers will make it “a real challenge” to complete the studies in a relatively short time.
