<\/p>\n
Approved on July 8, the project will strengthen the operational performance of the Kenitra\u2013Marrakech railway corridor, which carries a substantial share of Morocco\u2019s passenger and freight traffic. The investment will support the extension of the country\u2019s high-speed rail network and modernise existing railway infrastructure along the route.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The project is expected to improve mobility between Morocco\u2019s main economic and urban centres, helping to ease congestion, enhance regional connectivity and support more sustainable transport systems.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In addition to improving passenger travel, the initiative is designed to facilitate trade and logistics by reducing travel times and lowering transport costs. The project also supports Morocco\u2019s efforts to shift towards cleaner and more environmentally sustainable modes of transportation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
AfDB Group Country Office Head in Morocco Achraf Tarsim said the combination of high-speed rail expansion and infrastructure upgrades would help meet growing demand for both passenger and freight services.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cBy combining the extension of the high-speed rail line with the modernisation of existing infrastructure, this operation will help accommodate growing passenger and freight traffic, facilitate trade flows and reduce travel times,\u201d said Tarsim.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Tarsim added that the project is expected to strengthen Morocco\u2019s logistics competitiveness over the longer term while reinforcing the country\u2019s position as a strategic link between Europe and Africa.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The programme includes the acquisition of equipment to modernise railway infrastructure along the Kenitra\u2013Marrakech corridor and around the Casablanca rail hub. Planned investments include new rails and track components for both conventional and high-speed rail networks to increase capacity and improve operational efficiency.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
PADIF also includes a project management component covering engineering supervision, implementation support, monitoring and evaluation to help ensure effective delivery of the project\u2019s objectives.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The initiative aligns with the AfDB Group\u2019s development priorities and Morocco\u2019s national infrastructure goals, including the New Development Model and the Rail 2040 strategy, which seeks to modernise and expand the country\u2019s railway network.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Since 1978, the AfDB has mobilised nearly $17.5 billion for more than 150 projects and programmes in Morocco. Funding has supported sectors including transport, energy, water and sanitation, agriculture, social protection, governance and financial services.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–AfDB\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":39194,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[44],"class_list":["post-39193","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-finance","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved $240 million in financing for Morocco to support the Rail Infrastructure Development Support Project (PADIF), a major initiative aimed at expanding rail capacity and improving connectivity along one of the country\u2019s busiest transport corridors.","published_date":"","news_description":"The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved $240 million in financing for Morocco to support the Rail Infrastructure Development Support Project (PADIF), a major initiative aimed at expanding rail capacity and improving connectivity along one of the country\u2019s busiest transport corridors.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/39193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/39193\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39195,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/39193\/revisions\/39195"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=39193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}