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Rabat – The Moroccan National Railways Office has awarded Chinese firm China Overseas Engineering Corporation (Covec) the latest contract in the ongoing high-speed rail project connecting Kenitra and Marrakech, according to Le360.
Valued at MAD 1.34 billion, the contract covers extensive civil works along the classic rail line in Casablanca, including earthworks, engineering structures, communications restoration, and fencing. Covec’s bid was the most cost-effective, undercutting the original estimate of MAD 1.44 billion and significantly lower than the MAD 1.72 billion bid submitted by the French consortium NGE Contracting/Guintoli, the report added.
Covec is now the fourth Chinese company involved in the civil engineering phase of the high-speed line (LGV) Kenitra-Marrakech project. Previous contracts on dedicated LGV sections were awarded to other major Chinese firms, including CRCC 20 (MAD 2.83 billion), China Railway No.04 Engineering (MAD 3.4 billion), and Shandong Hi-Speed Engineering-Construction (MAD 4.5 billion).
Additional contracts were awarded to GTR, a subsidiary of French Colas (MAD 2.2 billion), and Moroccan companies TGCC (MAD 2.83 billion), Jet Contractors (MAD 2 billion), and Mojazine Group (MAD 1.97 billion).
Two more contracts remain open for bidding. This includes the eighth lot, focusing on viaduct construction, and the ninth lot, which will involve constructing a viaduct over the Oued Bouregreg River.
Read also: LGV Rail: Morocco Commits $300 Million to Upgrade Kenitra-Marrakech Line
In addition to the Kenitra-Marrakech high-speech line, the project also includes connections to existing railways, upgrades to stations, modernization of the Kenitra-Rabat-Casablanca-Marrakech line, terminal facilities, and maintenance bases, as well as a specialized maintenance workshop for the high-speed trains.
The LGV route itself will extend from the Kenitra maintenance base to the northern end of the Rabat tunnel, then between Ain Atiq and Zenata, and finally from Zenata to Marrakech, connecting with a new transport hub in Nouaceur.
The new high-speed rail project is highly anticipated due to its promise of increased efficiency and convenience. With travel times set to be significantly reduced, journeys such as the one from Kenitra to Marrakech will be completed in just three hours. This will make the rail system a more attractive option for both daily commutes and long-distance trips.
