Morocco’s Railway Office (ONCF) has announced a public tender worth MAD 612 million (about USD 62 million) for the procurement of 60,000 tons of rails intended for a new high-speed rail line linking Kenitra and Marrakech.
– The tender outlines the requirements for manufacturing, delivering, and paying for the steel rails necessary for the railway’s construction.
– According to ONCF, required materials consist of 60 E1 profile rails, graded R 260 Mn, that must comply with NF EN 13674-1 +A1 standards as of June 2017.
– This new high-speed rail initiative aligns with Morocco’s comprehensive transportation strategy, which seeks to improve connectivity between the northern and southern regions through modern infrastructure.
– In addition to sourcing the rails, the chosen contractor will also handle their transportation to the port of Casablanca. After that, ONCF will oversee the logistics of delivering the rails to the construction sites in Kenitra and Benguerir.
– The project encompasses several essential components, such as building the high-speed rail, connecting it to existing lines, and creating train stations and maintenance facilities.
– The planned route will link the Kenitra maintenance base to areas north of Rabat, traveling through Aïn Atiq and Zenata, and ultimately connecting Marrakech via Casablanca’s Nouaceur region.
