Marrakech – South Korea’s national rail operator KORAIL has signed a KRW 9 billion ($6 million) contract with Morocco’s national rail operator (ONCF) to oversee the rollout of 440 new electric train cars. The 38-month agreement covers project management consultancy and maintenance advisory services for the fleet, set to enter service from 2029.
According to Korean media, KORAIL President Kim Taeseung signed the deal on Thursday at the ONCF headquarters with Director General Mohamed Rabie Khlie.
Under the terms, KORAIL will supervise all phases of the project except manufacturing. This includes design review, production quality management, pre-shipment inspection, trial runs, and final acceptance of the 160 km/h electric multiple units.
The contract is a follow-up to a far larger deal secured last year. A consortium known as the K-Railway One Team – composed of KORAIL, South Korea’s National Railroad Authority, and train manufacturer Hyundai Rotem – won a KRW 2.2 trillion ($1.5 billion) contract for the production and maintenance of the 440 cars. The new agreement extends South Korea’s involvement from manufacturing into direct operational oversight.
KORAIL plans to dispatch experienced technical personnel to Morocco to carry out the project management work on the ground. The approach is hands-on, with Korean engineers embedded in the process from the earliest design stages through to delivery.
The maintenance advisory component aims to ensure stable operations once the trains are delivered. KORAIL will advise on building a maintenance organizational structure, provide theoretical and practical training to Moroccan railway staff, and help develop local technical capacity. ONCF employees will also travel to South Korea for training programs.
The project is funded entirely by the Moroccan government. Morocco remains the only country in Africa operating a high-speed rail network, having launched its Tangier-Casablanca line, dubbed Al Boraq, in 2018.
The kingdom is also building the 430-kilometer Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed extension, which King Mohammed VI launched in April 2025. The line is targeted for completion by 2029 and will cut travel time between Tangier and Marrakech to two hours and 40 minutes as part of a broader MAD 96 billion ($9.6 billion) national rail investment program.
The North African country is now investing heavily in expanding its conventional rail fleet as part of broader infrastructure development plans ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
For South Korea, the deal represents a strategic foothold in North Africa’s rail sector. KORAIL sees the partnership with Morocco as a platform for expansion into the wider region.
“It is a meaningful achievement to transfer South Korea’s railway operation expertise to Morocco, the only country in Africa that operates high-speed rail,” KORAIL President Kim Taeseung said. “We will use this as a stepping stone to pioneer new markets in North Africa, the Middle East, and beyond.”
The 440-car procurement is one of the largest rolling stock contracts in Africa in recent years. Combined with the new management and advisory deal, South Korea’s total contractual commitment to Morocco’s rail modernization now exceeds KRW 2.2 trillion ($1.5 billion).
KORAIL has signaled it intends to pursue additional follow-up cooperation as Morocco continues to expand its railway infrastructure.
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