Morocco’s Railway Office (ONCF) has recently launched a public tender valued at MAD 612 million (approximately USD 62 million) to acquire 60,000 tons of rails for its new high-speed line connecting Kenitra and Marrakech, Spanish media outlet La Razon reported.
The tender will set out the conditions for the manufacture, delivery, and payment of the steel rails needed to construct the new railway.
The ONCF had released a comprehensive statement detailing the required materials, which include 60 E1 profile rails graded R 260 Mn, per NF EN 13674-1 +A1 standards, June 2017 version.
The new high-speed rail line is part of Morocco’s long-term transportation strategy, which aims to connect the northern and southern regions through modern, efficient infrastructure.
In addition to sourcing the rails, the selected contractor will be responsible for transporting them to the port of Casablanca. The ONCF assumes responsibility for the subsequent logistics, delivering the rails to the construction sites in Kenitra and Benguerir, where construction will take place.
The project entails multiple critical aspects, including the construction of the high-speed rail itself, connections to existing lines, and the development of train stations and maintenance facilities.
The planned route will connect the Kenitra maintenance base with areas north of Rabat, extending through Aïn Atiq and Zenata before ultimately connecting with Marrakech through Casablanca’s Nouaceur region.