A consortium of French-Moroccan companies has won the bid for project management assistance for the high-speed train (LGV) connecting Kenitra and Marrakech.
The consortium is led by Egis, a French consulting company, and includes Systra, a public transport company, and Novec, a Moroccan engineering company, according to a statement from the consortium on Thursday.
The project is part of Morocco’s overall strategy to boost infrastructure ahead of hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup in a joint bid with Portugal and Spain.
Under the contract, the consortium will assist ONCF, the state-owned national railway company, in adding 430 km of new high-speed line, 130 km of quadrupling conventional lines around Casablanca, and new stations.
To enhance connectivity, Morocco has launched multiple projects over the coming seven years to modernize its conventional network, especially those connecting major cities including Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakech.
Through the Plan Rail Maroc 2040, Morocco is working to extend the existing high-speed rail between Tangier and Kenitra to Marrakech, linking the capital Rabat to the economic hub Casablanca.
The new infrastructure will significantly cut travel time, with trains running at 320 km/h over 430 km of new LGV, placing Morocco’s railway network among the most modern and efficient in the world.
The project is expected to be inaugurated at the end of 2029, one year ahead of the launch of the World Cup.
Beyond boosting transit, the project will support Morocco’s efforts to decarbonize and enhance access to public transportation.
The statement explains that the project management assistance contract covers project management, the master scheduling of operations, maintaining coherence and technical optimization of the project, and the overall integration of the project.
Morocco is leveraging the event to promote private-sector investment. The government is actively offering companies incentives to invest in infrastructure and tourism among other sectors. The prestigious event is expected to inject $1.2 billion into the kingdom’s economy, according to Valoris Security, a research firm.