For the first time, high-speed rail arrives in Africa

The Tangier-Casablanca high-speed rail line, the first ever high-speed line in Africa, has been officially inaugurated.

Alstom supplied and delivered the Office National des Chemins de Fer Marocain (ONCF) with 12 high-speed trains and level 1 and 2 on-board ERTMS.

“We are extremely proud to bring high-speed rail for the first time to the African continent. This inauguration is a significant milestone for this project which will allow Moroccan people to benefit from an incredible passenger experience thanks to our reliable, safe and comfortable Avelia very high-speed trains. Alstom is committed to remaining a close and long-term partner for Morocco, addressing its mobility needs and supporting its upcoming transport projects,” said Henri Poupart-Lafarge, Alstom Chairman and CEO.

The trains will run at 320km/h between Tangier and Kenitra, the first 180km-long section of the network. Between Kenitra and Casablanca (200km), the trains will join the conventional network where they will run at 160km/h. The service will connect these main economic regions of the country, in two hours and 10 minutes instead of four hours and 45 minutes.

The Avelia Euroduplex trainsets for Morocco are articulated double-deck trains adapted to specific climate and environment conditions. With a capacity of 533 passengers, each trainset is composed of eight cars including two first-class cars, a dining car and five second class cars and one section of the train is fully dedicated for passengers with reduced mobility.

The trains are also equipped with digital passenger information systems, bilingual in Arabic and French.