Marrakech – Morocco’s National Office of Railways (ONCF) signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday in Berlin with DB Systemtechnik GmbH, the engineering and rail-technology subsidiary of Germany’s national railway company, Deutsche Bahn (DB). The agreement aims to deepen cooperation in engineering, maintenance, and railway innovation.
Signed on the sidelines of the 15th edition of InnoTrans, one of the world’s largest trade shows for transport technology, the MoU establishes a framework for exchange and the sharing of expertise between the two institutions.
It also provides for capitalizing on their respective experiences, exchanging best practices, and jointly examining solutions to improve railway performance.
Through the agreement, ONCF and DB Systemtechnik intend to consolidate their technical ties and build durable cooperation grounded in shared know-how. The protocol follows a 2023 framework agreement between ONCF and Deutsche Bahn to expand their partnership and exchanges, according to ONCF Deputy Director General Mohammed Smouni.
The cooperation will center on predictive maintenance systems and open the way for an exchange of experiences between the two parties, Smouni told Morocco’s news agency MAP.
ONCF wants to draw on German expertise while sharing its own record in the maintenance and operation of high-speed rail in Morocco. “It is a two-way exchange, so each side can benefit from the other’s experience,” he noted.
The MoU came during ONCF’s participation in InnoTrans 2026, held from September 22 to 25 in Berlin, where the office laid out Morocco’s ambitions in railway network and industry development.
At the same event, ONCF won the UIC Sustainability Impact Award 2026, presented by the International Union of Railways (UIC) in the “Natural Resources” category. The distinction recognized the office’s “Rewater Train” project, dedicated to preserving water resources.
Deployed in Casablanca and now being extended to Kenitra and Tangier, the system reuses 97% of water after treatment and cuts reliance on new water resources by 70%. It has already recycled more than 8,000 cubic meters of water, according to ONCF. The office also presented its “Inclusive Mobility” project, a finalist in the “Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion” category.
A cooperation ‘beneficial for both countries’
Morocco’s presence at the show drew attention from German officials. German Parliamentary State Secretary for Transport Ulrich Lange described the development of Morocco’s high-speed rail network as “impressive” and a source of major investment opportunities.
In a statement to MAP, he pointed to the kingdom’s investment program of more than MAD 100 billion ($10 billion) to develop its rail network, including high-speed infrastructure.
Lange, who visited the ONCF pavilion, called German-Moroccan cooperation in transport “beneficial for both countries.” He welcomed Morocco’s participation in the show for the third time, describing it as “a good sign” for shared approaches to rail transport between the two countries.
The ONCF delegation of some 35 professionals held a series of meetings over the four days with major players in the global rail industry, among them Alstom, Spanish manufacturer CAF, and South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem.
Other agreements involving Morocco’s rail ecosystem were also concluded in Berlin. The Moroccan cluster MTI (Morocco TraIndustry) signed an MoU with the European Railway Clusters Initiative (ERCI) to strengthen cooperation in innovation, research and development, and industrial partnerships.
MTI also signed a partnership agreement with France’s Federation of Railway Industries (FIF) to expand exchanges between the Moroccan and French rail sectors.
The award and the agreements come ahead of a forum that ONCF and the UIC will co-organize in Rabat on October 14 and 15, titled “Investment and Financing Solutions for Africa’s Railway Future,” focused on financing railway development across the continent.
InnoTrans, held every two years in Berlin, drew a record 3,170 exhibitors from 59 countries this year, about 200 more than the 2024 edition. The show featured 180 world premieres and 113 rail vehicles from 17 countries.
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