The Moroccan Ministry of Transport and Logistics has informed the parliament that financing from the private sector will be required in order to provide funds worth EUR36.5 billion (MAD400 billion) to expand the country’s railway network by 5,100 km. Under this scheme, Moroccan state railway ONCF is leading a long-term programme to build 1,300 km of high-speed rail (HSR) lines and 3,800 km of new conventional lines. According to the ministry, the major scheme is to increase the number of cities on the national network from 23 to 43, providing access to rail services for 87% of the population compared with 51% at present. Projects include HSR lines from Casablanca to Oujda on the Algerian border, and from Tangier to Nador. In November 2022, ONCF signed a finance contract with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to upgrade its existing 2,300 km conventional network.
