The beginning of this year is proving just as successful as the end of last year for CAF, with the company securing a major new contract in Morocco. This achievement adds to the company’s already impressive order backlog.
ONCF (Office National des Chemins de Fer), the national railway operator of the Kingdom of Morocco, has awarded CAF a contract to supply 30 modern intercity trains to operate on the country’s railway network. The contract also includes an option to increase its scope in the future, with the delivery of 10 additional units, as well as the possibility of providing technical assistance and spare parts supply services for ONCF.
This marks a major milestone for CAF as it is the first project the company has secured in Morocco. Valued at nearly €600 million – not including any potential options that ONCF may choose to exercise at a later date – this contract will be financed by the Spanish Government’s FIEM (Business Internationalisation Fund) funds.
The units designed by CAF for this project are intercity trains offering the highest levels of performance and comfort, built to operate at a speed of 200 km/h. In addition, the trains will have a high transport capacity, with more than 500 seats, and spaces for people with reduced mobility.
ONCF plans to use the supplied trains to connect Morocco’s main cities on the Fez–Marrakech and Kenitra–Fez connecting lines. The new rolling stock is expected to significantly improve the quality of rail services in the country, strengthen regional connectivity, and increase passenger transport capacity.
It should also be noted that Morocco is currently pursuing an ambitious plan to modernise and improve its infrastructure, with a particular focus on its rail network. In this context, the choice of CAF to contribute its experience and technological expertise to this initiative is a clear recognition of the company’s strong track record in recent years.
Specifically, this award is part of the plan to renovate Morocco’s rail network in preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2030, which the Kingdom of Morocco is co-hosting with Spain and Portugal. One of ONCF’s objectives is to increase the country’s rail coverage rate to 87% of the population by 2040 (currently at 51%) by connecting more than 40 Moroccan cities, compared to the 23 cities currently served by the country’s rail network.
