“Spanish Companies Eye Morocco’s 35 Billion Euro Rail Investment for High-Speed Projects”

The major Spanish concerns want to position themselves to win projects in Morocco’s mega-program for the renewal of the rail infrastructure and the construction of new high-speed lines. With the help of their government, they are poised to compete with French companies such as Alstom, which built the kingdom’s first high-speed line between Tangier and Casablanca seven years ago.

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At the summit meeting between Spain and Morocco in Rabat in early February, the Spanish Minister of Transport, Raquel Sánchez, informed the Moroccan Ministers of Transport and Logistics, Mohammed Abdeljalil, and of Infrastructure and Water, Nizar Baraka, of the interest of large Spanish companies to participate in infrastructure projects carried out in the kingdom.

“Spain wants to be involved in new infrastructure developments, especially in projects to expand the high-speed rail network and the airport network,” said the Spanish minister. At the end of the meeting, both sides signed a memorandum of understanding to “enhance cooperation in the transport field, with a particular emphasis on railways and their infrastructure”.

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Rabat wants to release around 34.7 billion euros between now and 2040 for the construction of 1100 kilometers of new high-speed lines, such as the railway that connects Kenitra with Casablanca with Marrakech or Agadir, or Rabat with Oujda. All these projects are currently being studied. The kingdom wants to invest 2.14 billion euros between now and 2025, part of which will be used to purchase 100 trains. Spanish companies such as Renfe and Adif, which already have a partnership with ONCF, or ALSA and Balearia, intend to contribute.