Morocco has secured a €205 million loan from the African Development Bank to help expand its high-speed rail network and upgrade the railway between Kenitra and Marrakech. The loan, worth about $234 million, will support work on one of the country’s busiest rail routes. The Kenitra to Marrakech corridor carries a large share of Morocco’s passenger and freight traffic.
The project is expected to increase the railway’s capacity, improve services and make train operations more efficient between some of Morocco’s main economic cities.
The funding is part of Morocco’s wider $10 billion investment plan to expand its railway network. A major part of the programme is the construction of a new high-speed line linking Kenitra and Marrakech.
The new railway will stretch for around 430 kilometres. It will connect Kenitra on the Atlantic coast with Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech, extending Morocco’s high-speed rail network further south.
The project comes as Morocco prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Spain and Portugal. The country is investing in transport infrastructure to improve travel between its biggest cities ahead of the tournament and beyond.
The African Development Bank said the investment supports Morocco’s plans to modernise its railway system. The project is expected to improve connections between cities, make travel easier and help support economic growth.
The new loan adds to the funding for one of Morocco’s biggest transport projects, which aims to bring Marrakech onto the country’s high-speed rail network.
