Contractor bags €430 million worth of work on Morocco’s high-speed railway

An ONCF high-speed train in Casablanca (Image: BreizhAtao via AdobeStock - stock.adobe.com)

The Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF) awarded three contracts to Colas companies on the Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed line.

Moroccan subsidiary Les Grands Travaux Routiers (GTR) has won lot number three of the civil engineering works, worth nearly €180 million (US$186.7 million).

Colas Rail will design and build the tracks, catenary systems and substations for €200 million (US$207.4 million).

The rail subsidiary will also carry out lot no. 1 of the superstructure and civil engineering works on tracks in operation, totalling €50 million (US$51.9 million).

The projects, located between Kenitra and Casablanca, are a continuation of LGV Nord, which links Tangiers to Kenitra. They aim to extend the railway as far as Marrakech, in preparation for Morocco hosting the 2030 World Cup.

GTR’s work will cover almost 40 kilometres (25 miles), including earthworks, standard engineering works, and the construction of five bridges. The project is scheduled for completion in 2027.

Colas Rail’s work, in consortium with SETEC, covers tracks, catenary systems, work bases, electrical substations, and civil engineering on a 346km (215-mile) single-track high-speed section and a 112km (70-mile) single-track section on the regional network. That work is scheduled for completion in 2028.

“We are proud to participate in the development of Morocco’s railway infrastructure on behalf of ONCF. This project demonstrates our commitment to the Kingdom’s economic development and our support for major initiatives such as the hosting of the 2030 World Cup”, said Francis Grass, executive vice president EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) of Colas, which is a subsidiary of France-based Bouygues.