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Morocco appoints Chinese firm for high-speed rail package

21 November 2024

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Morocco’s Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF) has awarded a fourth civil works contract for the Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed railway line to China Overseas Engineering Corporation (Covec).

According to local media reports, the Chinese firm saw off competition from a French team comprising NGE Contracting and Guintoli.

Covec submitted a bid of MD1.34bn ($135m) for the contract, while the French consortium offered MD1.72bn.

In October, ONCF awarded multiple civil works contracts to Chinese and local firms to build the high-speed railway line project.

Beijing-headquartered China Railway Number 4 Engineering Group won a MD3.4bn ($348.9m) contract to construct the first phase, which extends 63 kilometres (km) from Sidi Ishou to Rabat.

China’s Shandong Hi-Speed Group Company won a civil works contract worth MD4bn ($410m) for the second phase, which extends 64km from Rabat Agdal to Zenata.

Local contractor Travaux Generaux de Construction de Casablanca (TGCC) was awarded a MD2.8bn ($205.4m) contract to execute the civil works for the fourth phase, which extends 51km from Berrechid to Settat.

Project background

The high-speed rail project is part of a $37bn strategy to connect more of Morocco’s cities, ports and airports by train. It will stretch 375km from Kenitra on the northwest coast to Marrakech in the south.

The project is divided into seven lots, each measuring 36km-64km. The rail link will traverse cities including Rabat, Sale, Casablanca and Marrakech.

The link will extend the Al-Boraq railway, a high-speed rail line between Tangier, Rabat and Casablanca. The line started operating in 2018 and was Africa’s first high-speed railway system.

In August, MEED reported that ONCF had appointed a team to provide project management services for a high-speed rail link. The contract was awarded to a team comprising French engineering firms Egis and Systra, in association with Moroccan firm Novec.

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Jennifer Aguinaldo

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