Alstom to build 2nd rail plant in Morocco

French Alstom group will invest over $16 million on a second rail plant in Morocco which is developing its rail industrial ecosystem with its local expertise to meet its mobility and transportation needs.

The 2nd plant will make driving cabs for regional and underground railway trains, said Alstom in a press release issued Thursday.

In 2020, Alstom announced the expansion of its plant in Fez, and in 2021, the construction of a second production line. The Fez site produces electrical wiring and Mitrac transformers and employs 850 people, of whom 56% are women.

Mama Sougoufara, Alstom’s director for MENA region, said: “Thanks to the transfer of unique technology from our international sites we will be able to create a Moroccan rail center with world-class expertise. We are an established local player and we have confidence in the future of Morocco.”

Mehdi Sahel, managing director of Alstom Morocco, said: “We are proud to be building a new industrial site. This is an example of our strategy to design and develop a local ecosystem.”

Since 2019, the French train maker has invested over $33 million to grow its industrial operations in Morocco. The rail company employs some 950 people in the country. The new investment is expected to create 200 jobs over the next three years.

Alstom has been responsible for several major projects in the Morocco, including the installation of signaling and the delivery of 190 Citadis X02 trams to the cities of Rabat (66 trams) and Casablanca (124 trams), 12 Avelia Euroduplex trains for the high-speed rail link between Tangier and Casablanca, and 77 Prima locomotives providing optimized solutions for freight, passenger and combined transport services.