By Ahmed Eljechtimi
RABAT (Reuters) – Morocco’s state-owned rail operator ONCF said on Wednesday that it will buy 168 trains from France, Spain and South Korea for $2.9 billion as it seeks to expand its network ahead of the FIFA World Cup in 2030.
France’s Alstom, Spain’s Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) and South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem won the tenders, ONCF said.Morocco is pushing to expand both its high-speed and urban rail networks ahead of the World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
Under the deal, Alstom will supply Morocco with 18 high-speed trains, while Spain’s CAF will build 40 intercity trains, ONCF said in a statement.
South Korea won the tender to supply 110 urban trains as part of a deal that also includes support for the country’s nascent train industry, ONCF said.
The contracts include concessionary financing agreements with France, Spain and South Korea covering the total cost of the transaction, it said.
Morocco plans to extend its high-speed train network from Kenitra on the western coast to Marrakech before the tournament, and then further south to Agadir.
The operator also aims to expand its network to double the number of cities it serves to 43, or 87% of the Moroccan population, by 2040.
(Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi; Editing by Peter Graff and Sharon Singleton)
