There are around 56,986 km (35,409 mi) of roads (national, regional and provincial) in Morocco.[1] In addition to 1,808 km (1,123 mi) of highways (August 2016).[2]
The Tangier–Casablanca high-speed rail link marks the first stage of the ONCF's high-speed rail master plan, pursuant to which over 1,500 km (930 mi) of new railway lines will be built by 2035. The high speed train - TGV - will have a capacity of 500 passengers and will carry 8 million passengers per year. The work on the High Speed Rail project was started in September 2011.[3] Construction of infrastructure and delivery of railway equipment will end in 2014 and the HSR will be operational by December 2015.[4]
With billions of dollars committed to improving the country's infrastructure, Morocco aims to become a world player in terms of marine transport.[citation needed] The 2008–2012 investment plan aims to invest $16.3 billion and will contribute to major projects such as the combined port and industrial complex of the Tanger-Med and the construction of a high-speed train between Tangier and Casablanca. The plan will also improve and expand the existing highway system and expand the Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport. Morocco's transport sector is one of the kingdom's most dynamic, and will remain so for years to come. The improvements in infrastructure will boost other sectors and will also help the country in its goal of attracting 10 million tourists by 2010.
Railways
Railways of Morocco, with planned high-speed lines
There are plans for several high-speed lines. Work by ONCF began in September 2011 on a first section from Tangier to Kenitra.[5] There are plans to construct two core lines, one from Tangier in the north via Marrakesh to Agadir in the south, and a second from Casablanca on the Atlantic to Oujda on the Algerian border. If all of these plans will be approved, the 1,500 kilometres of track may take until 2035[6] to complete at a cost of around 100 billion dirhams ($10 billion).
Potential speed gains are large, with travel time from Casablanca to Marrakesh down from 3 hours to 1:20, and from the capital Rabat to Tangier from 4:30 to 1:30.[7]
The second High-Speed Rail (HSR) which is planned to be built after Tangier-Kenitra is the HSR Marrakech-Essaouira (180 km)[8] followed by a new HSR Rabat-Meknes (130 km).[9] The last high-speed lines will connect these two old empire cities to the Atlantique coast in less than one hour instead of two hours now.
The current high-speed line Tangier-Kenitra under construction was impacted by delays resulting from issues about land acquisitions because this operation was performed by different provincial governors, in order to avoid such delays on the next high-speed rail Marrakech-Essaouira, the national railway company ONCF was given the green light to start the land acquisition and expropriation procedure.[10]
Other routes
A railway connecting Nador to the existing network at Taourirt was finished in 2010, after it had been under construction since 2007.[11]
As of 2006 there were around 57625 kilometres of roads (national, regional and provincial) in Morocco,[12] and an additional 1808 kilometers of highways (August 2016).
