Rabat - The National Office of Railroads announced on Thursday that the dynamic tests and initial operations of its new high-speed train line kicked off this week.
Rabat – The National Office of Railroads announced on Thursday that the dynamic tests and initial operations of its new high-speed train line kicked off this week.
In a communiqué released this Thursday, February 9, the office stated that a new phase of testing was launched this week, following the final tests on the traditional line in order to examine and ensure the smooth functioning of the high-speed trains on the conventional rail.
According to the office, the tests are critical to verify the capability of all components of the high-speed system to reach 320 kilometers per hour, especially the train itself, which runs on the railway equipped with its own upper wires and electricity supply as well as an independent signaling and communication system.
Preparations of the testing area were finished on on January 27. The office stated that all dynamic tests were done in gradual phases.
The office explained that the first testing line runs up a distance of 40 kilometers and will slowly increase until it reaches 160 kilometers per hour. It added that the increase in speed will be gradual eventually reaching 320 kilometers per hour over a distance of 100 kilometers.
The preliminary state of the tests will cover the entire track and will include linking clips at stations of Tangier and Kenitra to ensure that railways infrastructure and the high-speed train vehicles match perfectly, highlighting that the goal is to finish construction by the summer of 2018.
In parallel with these experiments, civil engineering works continue north of the line, having completed more than 175 kilometers out of 200. The office added that the railway construction works are still going at full speed, with more than 120 kilometers of railway tracks have been fully installed currently. They added that that the project records a development rate of 87% and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2018.