Rabat – Morocco’s Minister of Transport and Logistics Mohammed Abdeljalil said on Monday morning that a high speed Boraq train line from Casablanca to Agadir would cost upwards of MAD 75 billion ($7.5 billion).
The high speed train would go from Casablanca to Agadir, passing by Marrakech on the way.
The figure comes after initial studies, with the minister saying they are looking for innovative solutions to finance the project.
Abdeljalil stressed the importance of the project during a House of Representatives meeting on Monday, saying that it will be a vital component to upgrading Morocco’s infrastructure and improving its economy.
The new Boraq line is part of ongoing efforts by the Moroccan National Railways Office (ONCF) to upgrade the railway infrastructure around the country, including the building of new stations, adding new destinations to train routes, and extending high speed rail.
ONCF announced in late 2021 that it was going to invest MAD 7.7 billion ($848 million) to modernize and rehabilitate the nation’s railway infrastructure between 2022 and 2024.
Concerns were raised about the cost of the projects taken on by ONCF, as the office’s losses during the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the new costs meant it had a debt ratio of almost 200%.
In 2021, ONCF trains carried 30 million passengers throughout Morocco, 8.4 million tonnes of goods, and 15 million tonnes of phosphates.
Read also: Morocco’s Railways Office to Invest $848 Million in Infrastructure Rehabilitation
