The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved €205 million ($234 million) in financing for Morocco to help extend the country’s high-speed rail network and upgrade infrastructure along one of its busiest transport corridors.
The financing is aimed at increasing capacity and improving operational performance on the Kenitra-Marrakech railway corridor, a key route for passenger and freight traffic, the bank said in a statement.
The project includes the extension of the high-speed rail line as well as upgrades to conventional railway infrastructure along the corridor, linking some of Morocco’s largest economic and urban centers.
The AfDB said the investment would help improve mobility, strengthen regional connectivity and encourage a shift towards more sustainable transport by reducing travel times and logistics costs.
“By combining the extension of the high-speed rail line with the modernization of existing infrastructure, this operation will help accommodate growing passenger and freight traffic, facilitate trade flows, and reduce travel times,” Achraf Tarsim, the bank’s country manager for Morocco, said in the statement.
“In the long term, it will strengthen Morocco’s logistics competitiveness and reinforce its role as a strategic hub linking Europe and Africa,” he added.
The project will finance equipment to modernize railway infrastructure along the Kenitra-Marrakech corridor and around the Casablanca rail hub, including new rails and track components for both conventional and high-speed lines.
It also includes support for project management, engineering supervision, and monitoring and evaluation to help ensure effective implementation.
Morocco is investing heavily in rail infrastructure as part of plans to modernize its transport network and improve connectivity. The country has announced a broader program to expand intercity and urban rail services, including the extension of its high-speed rail network.
Since 1978, the African Development Bank Group has committed nearly €15 billion to more than 150 projects and programs in Morocco across sectors including transport, energy, water, agriculture, governance and finance.
