Rabat – Morocco’s national railway company (ONCF) has ordered 30 Prima electric locomotives from the French multinational transport company, Alstom.
According to a statement issued by Alstom, the deal between the French multinational and the Moroccan rail company is the result of an international tender launched by ONCF in March 2017. The contract signed between ONCF and Alstom is worth EUR 130 million.
The locomotives that Alstom will supply Morocco will be manufactured in Alstom’s Belfort plant, read the statement. However, “the Alstom team in Morocco will ensure the after sales service and maintenance.”
Underscoring the power and capabilities of the locomotives, Alstom said that each unit will have a nominal power of 5.5 megawatts, and “a maximum operating speed of 160 km/h and operate under 3 KV DC voltage.”
The statement added that the locomotives need minimum maintenance and would provide a “high-reliability level and low lifecycle cost,” owing to its modular design.
Expressing his satisfaction over the deal between Alstom and ONCF, Managing Director of Alstom in Morocco, Ibrahim Soua, said, “We are delighted that ONCF has renewed its confidence in our company and our products.”
He added that 20 Prima locomotives built by Alstom have been operating in Morocco since 2011, owing to the “historical” partnership based on mutual trust and a real teamwork spirit between the two firms.
“With this new contract, our journey continues and we are proud to contribute to the development of the Moroccan railway infrastructure,” Soua added.
