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The loan will be used by ONCF to finance the purchase of 18 trains from Alstom France has approved a €781 million ($846 million) loan to Morocco to fund the purchase of 18 high-speed trains by the Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF), the North African country’s national railway operator. The loan from the French treasury is part of a financial cooperation agreement signed on 28 October 2024, during President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Morocco, the Embassy of France said in a French language press statement. French railway giant Alstom will supply its Avelia Horizon trains to ONCF for the Kenitra to Marrakech high-speed rail line linking Tangier with Marrakech. These double-decker trains can accommodate up to 640 passengers and reach speeds of 320 km/h. The trains will be produced at Alstom’s factories in France while the company’s local facilities in Fez will manufacture electrical cabinets and cable harnesses for these trains. France’s Ambassador to Morocco, Christophe Lecourtier, highlighted the Franco-Moroccan partnership in railway development, noting that the Tangier-Kenitra high-speed line transported nearly five million passengers in 2024. Morocco is investing heavily in transport infrastructure expansion ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal. |
