RABAT, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Morocco launched the construction of the Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed railway on Thursday at the Rabat Agdal train station in the Moroccan capital, marking the start of the second phase of the country's high-speed railway project.
This phase will add 430 kilometers of high-speed rail connecting Kenitra to Morocco's economic hub, Casablanca, and further south to the historic city of Marrakech. The project is expected to be completed and put into service ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Portugal and Spain.
Morocco made history in 2018 by becoming the first African country to operate a high-speed railway with the launch of the Tangier-Kenitra line, which uses French technology and design standards with a speed of 350 kilometers per hour.
According to the official MAP news agency, the second phase of the project also includes the purchase of high-speed trains and cars, as well as the upgrading of existing railway lines, with a total investment of 96 billion Moroccan dirhams (about 10.3 billion U.S. dollars).
The project is part of Morocco's broader push for major infrastructure construction and upgrades in preparation for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
