Minister of Transport and Logistics Abdessamad Qaiouh said on Monday in the House of Representatives that a project to set up a railway carriage factory in Morocco is expected to be implemented. In response to a question posed by the Istiqlal Team for Unity and Equilibrium during an oral question session, Qaiouh explained that this factory will be able to supply the National Railway Office with these wagons and export them to a number of African countries. The minister highlighted that the new contractual program between the state and the National Railway Office, for which a budget of 87 billion dirhams has been allocated, aims to develop the high-speed train line, in addition to improving the quality of existing lines. These projects will contribute to improving the quality of rail transportation services, he said, noting that «about 53 million passengers were transported in 2023, and this number is expected to reach 55 million by the end of this year». The high-speed train that will link Kenitra to Marrakech will reduce the journey time, which currently takes between 5 and 6 hours, to 3 hours, Qaiouh said. In response to another oral question submitted by the Socialist-Federal Opposition team on «strengthening the railway transport network», Qaiouh revealed that the measures taken by the National Railway Office, especially within the 2040 plan, have enabled the preparation of an ambitious plan that consists of the construction of 1,300 km of new railway lines, 1,300 km of new high-speed rail lines, 3,800 km of new classical rail lines to connect 43 Moroccan cities instead of the current 23, and provide rail transportation to 87% of the national population instead of the current 51%, in addition to the creation of 10 regional centers.
