The African Development Bank (AfDB) said on Thursday it had approved a loan of 205 million Euros ($234 million) to help Morocco extend its high-speed rail network and upgrade rail infrastructure along one of the country’s busiest transport corridors.
The loan is aimed at boosting capacity and operational performance along the Kenitra-Marrakech railway corridor, which carries a large share of Morocco’s passenger and freight traffic, the bank said in a statement.
Morocco plans to invest $10 billion to expand its intercity and urban rail networks, including the construction of a high-speed line to Marrakech, ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
The new high-speed line will start from Kenitra on the Atlantic coast and run 430 km (267 miles) south to Marrakech, serving Rabat and Casablanca along the way.
—Reuters—
