Morocco plans to establish a rail factory in the coming years to meet national railway needs and position itself as an exporter of trains, said Abdessamad Qaiouh, Minister of Transport and Logistics in response to a parliamentary question about modernizing the country’s railway network.

During the weekly oral question session in the House of Representatives on Monday, Qaiouh highlighted the significant progress made by the National Office of Railways (ONCF), which has transported around 53 million passengers this year, with expectations to reach 55 million by year’s end, including 5 million on TGV high-speed train.

He also shared plans to complete the rail connection between Kenitra and Marrakesh, passing through Benslimane and Mohammed V Airport, by 2029, a project that is expected to reduce travel time to Marrakesh from seven hours to just two hours and 45 minutes.

The railway sector restructuring project will involve an investment of approximately 87 billion dirhams, aimed at modernizing the country’s rail infrastructure.

This includes replacing existing thermal-powered lines with clean electric energy and enhancing intercity connectivity.

In response to a question about supporting school transport associations amid rising fuel prices, Qaiouh confirmed that approximately 9,000 vehicles serve 650,000 Moroccan children daily in the school transport sector.

He explained that most funding for this sector comes from regional councils, local authorities, and municipalities in partnership with associations, while the ministry’s role is facilitative.

Qaiouh also noted that the government had provided financial support for transport operators, offering 1,000 dirhams per month to those affected by the rise in oil prices, which had reached 130 dollars per barrel in 2022 but have since dropped to 72 dollars.

On renewing the aging road transport fleet, the minister outlined a 200 million dirham program to support the replacement of buses over 15 years old with grants up to 1.2 million dirhams.

Buses younger than seven years can receive grants of up to 600,000 dirhams, while dual-purpose vehicles can apply for support of up to 250,000 dirhams through an online platform. The minister committed to fast-tracking applications for dual-purpose transport vehicles, ensuring processing within 15 days.