The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved €205 million in financing for Morocco to support the development and modernization of the country’s railway infrastructure, including the expansion of the high-speed rail network between Kenitra and Marrakech.
The bank’s Board of Directors approved the financing on Wednesday during a meeting in Abidjan for the Rail Infrastructure Development Support Project (PADIF).
According to the AfDB, the project aims to strengthen the capacity and operational performance of the Kenitra-Marrakech railway corridor, one of Morocco’s busiest routes for both passenger and freight traffic.
The investment will support the extension of the high-speed rail line while modernizing the existing conventional railway infrastructure along the strategic corridor, AfDB said in a statement.
The project is expected to improve mobility between Morocco’s main urban and economic centers, enhance regional connectivity, and encourage greater use of sustainable transport.
The AfDB said the project should also generate economic benefits by reducing travel times and logistics costs.
“By combining the extension of the high-speed rail line with the modernization of existing infrastructure, this operation will support growing passenger and freight traffic, facilitate trade, and reduce travel times,” Achraf Tarsim, the AfDB’s Morocco country manager, said.
“In the long term, it will strengthen Morocco’s logistics competitiveness and reinforce its role as a strategic hub between Europe and Africa,” he added.
The project includes the procurement of equipment to modernize railway infrastructure along the Kenitra-Marrakech corridor and around Casablanca’s rail hub.
It also provides for the supply of new rails and track components for both the conventional network and the high-speed line to increase capacity and improve operational performance.
In addition to infrastructure works, PADIF includes technical assistance for project management, engineering supervision, and monitoring and evaluation to support implementation.
The financing aligns with the African Development Bank’s 2024-2029 Country Strategy Paper for Morocco and supports the Kingdom’s Rail 2040 strategy, which aims to modernize and expand the national railway network.
Since 1978, the African Development Bank Group has committed nearly €15 billion to more than 150 projects and programs in Morocco across sectors including transport, energy, water, agriculture, social protection, governance, and finance.
