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Transport in Morocco

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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]

Autoroute A3 (Rabat–Casablanca, 95 km)

Government policy

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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

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Railways of Morocco, with planned high-speed lines
Main article: Rail transport in Morocco
Further information: ONCF

1907 km 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge, 1003 km electrified with 3 kV DC.

High speed lines

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Main article: Casablanca–Tangier high-speed rail line
Train of Morocco.

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

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A railway connecting Nador to the existing network at Taourirt was finished in 2010, after it had been under construction since 2007.[11]

Tramways

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Roads

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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).

Principal national roads:

Highways

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Main article: Autoroutes of Morocco

Major airports

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Main article: List of airports in Morocco

National airlines

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Merchant marine

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Total: 35 ships (1,000 GT or over) by type:

Foreign-owned: 14 (France 13, Germany 1) (2007)

Maritime companies

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A Comanav ROPAX ferry in the Nador Port

Intercity bus companies

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Bus service in Morocco offers access almost to every corner of the country. There's a big choice of carriers at bus stations,[13] among them:

Sports car

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References

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  1. ^ "Le Secteur Routier" (PDF). mtpnet.gov.ma. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 May 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  2. ^ (in French) Les Autoroutes du Maroc. Adm.co.ma. Retrieved on 2013-07-29. Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Radio France Internationale. "Maroc : inauguration des travaux du premier TGV d'Afrique en présence de Nicolas Sarkozy". Radio France Internationale. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  4. ^ "Morocco to Launch High Speed Train". Archived from the original on 6 February 2010. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  5. ^ Ceremony launches Tanger–Casablanca high speed project, Railway Gazette, 29 September 2011.
  6. ^ $10 billion for the high speed rail program Archived 5 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Khaleej Times Online - Morocco plans Arab world's first high-speed train Khaleej Times, 15 September 2006.
  8. ^ A High speed line From Marrakech to Essaouira "Railway Ghazette", 1 October 2015
  9. ^ A HSR Rabat-Meknes through Khemisset
  10. ^ Marrakech-Essaouira HSR : Greenlight given to ONCF for land expropriation
  11. ^ Times Atlas of the World, 2007, p. 83
  12. ^ CIA World Factbook
  13. ^ "Intercity transport in Morocco". Morocco.FalkTime. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
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Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook. CIA.

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