Rabat – Railway traffic in Morocco returned to pre-pandemic levels at the end of 2022, signaling a recovery from the COVID-19-induced economic crisis.
According to a statement from Morocco’s national railway operator ONCF, “traffic activities recorded a remarkable recovery compared to 2021, returning to and even exceeding the pre-COVID performance.”
The statement further adds that “at the end of December 2022, all indicators show a considerable improvement.”
In 2022, ONCF received a total of 46 million passengers, a 33% annual increase from 34.5 million passengers a year earlier. The improved traffic generated a turnover of MAD 2.2 billion ($217.7 million), up 42% year-on-year.
In addition to cargo shipping, ONCF trains transported 370,000 cars and 1 million tons of coal, the statement explains.
The improved traffic was cemented by the positive performance of Morocco’s high-speed electric train “Al Boraq.” Four years after its debut, the train has transported more than 4.2 million passengers in 2022, with a 60% annual increase in customers. The high-speed train generated a turnover of MAD 562 million ($55.6 million), up 63% from the results reported a year earlier.
Reports suggest that with ONCF’s use of green energy to power Al Boraq, the company now sources 25% of its energy needs from renewable sources.
As for freight transport, ONCF maintains that it continued to show strong resilience in 2022 recording overall a sustained improvement. The railway operator transported over 20.9 million tons of goods last year, generating a turnover of MAD 1.7 billion ($168.2).
Rail freight in 2022 generated a record turnover exceeding MAD 634 million ($62.7 million), up 19% compared to 2021.
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