China to Build Morocco High-Speed Rail Line For $350 Million

[Beijingwalker]

China to Build Morocco High-Speed Rail Line For $350 Million​

Published Sep 10, 2024

A Chinese firm has been selected to carry out work on a high-speed rail line between the Moroccan cities of Kenitra and Marrakech.

According to specialist outlet Railway Supply, Morocco's transport agency, the Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF) signed a new contract with China Railway No.4 Engineering (CREC 4) for the project, for the price of around $348 million

Local outlet Medias24 reported the project would entail the construction of a high-speed line between Kenitra and Marrakech, connections of this line to existing lines, the development of stations, as well the modernization of preexisting infrastructure.

Newsweek has contacted ONCF for comment via contact form.

ONCF previously said there are plans to extend Morocco's high-speed network from 200 miles to 800 miles in the next 16 years.

The ONCF 2040 Rail Strategy aims to connect major cities, modernize conventional rail services, and foster economic development across the country.

In addition to these extensions, ONCF hopes to add 2,300 miles of rail lines, linking 43 cities instead of the current 23.

It estimates the project will create 300,000 jobs, and the modernization work could one day benefit 87 percent of Morocco's population.

Morocco has sought to establish itself as a regional high-speed rail pioneer—it was the first African nation to establish an operational high-speed rail line in 2018.

Newsweek has previously mapped which countries have high-speed rail projects operational or under construction.

China led here, with the largest network globally. The country boasts over 40,000 kilometers (24,855 miles) of operational high-speed rail lines, according to a 2023 report from the International Union of Railways.

India's high-speed rail ambitions have also begun to take shape with the construction of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor, the country's first HSR project. This line, which is expected to be completed by 2028, will span 508 kilometers (316 miles) and allow trains to reach speeds of up to 320 kph (200 mph).

In the United States, the development of high-speed rail has been relatively slow compared to other countries, though multiple high-speed rail projects are in various stages of completion.

Newsweek has mapped some of the most significant rail projects coming to the U.S.

These included the long-awaited California High-Speed Rail line and the Brightline West High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail System.

In June, designs were revealed for four new stations on the California High-Speed Rail line: Merced, Bakersfield, Fresno and Kings Tulare.

The first lines for this high-speed rail project are currently scheduled to become operable between 2030 and 2033.

 

[ety]

Why the cost so little ? How long is the line ? Lol, what the project got to do with India and US ?

 

[majesticpug]

Why the cost so little ? How long is the line ? Lol, what the project got to do with India and US ?

Written by an Indian? US by nature keeps track of China's progress in fear of China catching up with America's world leading position.

 

[Lulldapull]

China is a businessman. They’ll do whatever benefits them.

Buss!

 

[ety]

China is a businessman. They’ll do whatever benefits them.

Buss!

China has good relation with Morocco not like some countries like India, why not build HSR there in business then ?

 

[AjayGhatak]

Misleading.

China wins contract for Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed railway line

The state-owned company China Railway NO.4 Engineering won the 316 million euro contract for works on the Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed railway megaproject

www.atalayar.com

The Chinese public railway operator China Railway NO.4 Engineering Group Co (CREC 4), linked to the giant CRRC Corporation Limited, Chinese manufacturer of rolling stock on a global scale, won the first batch of civil engineering works for the Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed line (LGV) megaproject, with a total value of 3.4 billion dirhams (316 million euros).

This is not the cost of entire project, but cost of part of construction.

 

[AjayGhatak]

China has good relation with Morocco not like some countries like India, why not build HSR there in business then ?

Actually, China was interested in constructing HSR in India. Japan just offered better terms.

 

[Lulldapull]

Actually, China was interested in constructing HSR in India. Japan just offered better terms.

No you picked Japan for geo-politics. The Chinese stole Japanese HSR tech 2 decades ago no?

That’s how it works!

 

[AjayGhatak]

No you picked Japan for geo-politics. The Chinese stole Japanese HSR tech 2 decades ago no?

That’s how it works!

Errr... I have no pork in this, Japan offered financing at 0.1% interest. Obviously, it got picked up. And for Chinese financing, well you can ask how well CPEC financing is playing out for Pakistan.

 

[ety]

Actually, China was interested in constructing HSR in India. Japan just offered better terms.

That was many years ago when the first Indian HSR bids were open to the world, but not now or anytime in the near future, India sees China as an enemy esp with recent clashes on the borders. Chinese are happy that Japan won the Indian HSR project so that China dodged a bullet, otherwise Chinese HSR construction company will sure lose big money. I read report that India is asking for international bids to build HSR from Mumbai to New Delhi now, but apparently no country is taking the bait, not even the Japanese this time.

 

[ety]

The Chinese stole Japanese HSR tech 2 decades ago no?

Ultra nonsense ! China pretty much developed its own HSR tech and industry that is the leader in the world now, of course in the very early stage, China imported some HSR tech from some countries.

 

[AjayGhatak]

That was many years ago when the first Indian HSR bids were open to the world, but not now or anytime in the near future, India sees China as an enemy esp with recent clashes on the borders. Chinese are happy that Japan won the Indian HSR project so that China dodged a bullet, otherwise Chinese HSR construction company will sure lose big money. I read report that India is asking for international bids to build HSR from Mumbai to New Delhi now, but apparently no country is taking the bait, not even the Japanese this time.

Well, I do not know what is India's HSR policy is, but knowing them, it will be ToT and they will atleast try to do it themself.

They did it with metro rails.

 

[Lulldapull]

Ultra nonsense ! China pretty much developed its own HSR tech and industry, of course in the very early stage, China imported some HSR tech from some countries.

That’s not true, we have strong evidence of Chinese coming here to Japan and stealing proprietary technology.

This is standard industrial espionage, but there’s nothing wrong with it as far as I can see. If yous smart enough to steal it……then so be it.

This has been going on for a while.

 

[ety]

That’s not true, we have strong evidence of Chinese coming here to Japan and stealing proprietary technology.

This is standard industrial espionage, but there’s nothing wrong with it as far as I can see. If yous smart enough to steal it……then so be it.

This has been going on for a while.

Japanese HSR tech is behind China now. Do you have proof of what you are accusing like a case because the Japanese have been saying all this kind crap stories when they are sour to see Chinese HSR develop to such advanced stage ahead of them.

 

[Beijingwalker]

That’s not true, we have strong evidence of Chinese coming here to Japan and stealing proprietary technology.

This is standard industrial espionage, but there’s nothing wrong with it as far as I can see. If yous smart enough to steal it……then so be it.

This has been going on for a while.

The first HSR in China had technologies from many countries, Germany, France, Japanese, but that was decades ago, Japan also learned their first technology from other countries, the whole culture of Japan focuses borrowing from other, Japanese writing style, philosophy, religion, architecture style, dressing style.... were all borrowed from China, do you say Japan stole them from China?