Africa’s only high-speed rail service, the Al Boraq railway in Morocco, whizzes passengers between Tangier and Casablanca in just two hours—and now it’s set to get an exciting new route extension.
On Thursday, April 24, His Majesty King Mohammed VI announced plans for the Kenitra-Marrakech High-Speed Rail Line, a multi-billion dollar project being described as part of Morocco’s “strategic vision for sustainable, inclusive, and competitive mobility, driven by a future-oriented continental ambition.”
The newly announced route would shorten travel times between Tangier and Rabat to around one hour, journeys from Tangier to Casablanca to 1 hour and 40 minutes, and trips between Tangier and Marrakech to 2 hours and 40 minutes. Rabat will also be linked to Casablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport in 35 minutes, while serving the new Benslimane stadium.
The most impressive distance covered will be high-speed service between Fez and Marrakech, reducing journey times between the popular cities to just 3 hours and 40 minutes. This is great news for potential visitors torn between which colorful destination to explore, making dual-city breaks all the more accessible.
The project reflects Morocco’s vision of expanding its national rail service with an emphasis on sustainable development, promoting low-carbon footprint solutions for the country’s growing tourism industry. The 270-mile line won’t only improve connectivity between Marrakech and coastal hubs like Rabat, but it should also encourage visitors, of whom there were an estimated 17 million in 2024, to make more eco-conscious choices on their sun-soaked escapes.
All this development won’t come cheap, of course. The structuring project has a budget of MAD 53 billion (around $5.7 billion), excluding stock. The published breakdown includes the acquisition of 168 trains for MAD 29 billion (around $3 billion) and a maintenance budget of MAD 14 billion (around $1.45 billion).
Officials were hesitant to provide an official opening date for the new services; however, the plans were designed to meet an increase in traffic expected by 2030.
A version of this article was originally published on Condé Nast Traveller UK.
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