Sassociating with Dohwa Engineering as well as another local partner in order to carry out this work, Korea National Railway (KNR) succeeded in winning this contract against Chinese and French competition, which has already carried out the first line of high-speed trains over a distance of 183 km between Kenitra and Tangier, made operational in November 2018.
Transport Minister Mohammed Abdeljalil told the House of Representatives that ONCF was able to successfully complete the design studies for the Marrakech-Agadir project. According to the minister, this project should cost 50 billion dirhams and its completion will depend on obtaining the necessary funding, the government being open to a public-private partnership model. France, which supported the financing of the Tangier-Kenitra project, and China were suggested as possible sources of financing.
This is therefore the first contract won by Korea National Railway in terms of HSR lines in Africa, a project whose work will begin in April 2022.
Tangier-Agadir soon?
“Awarding this project has served to inform the world that Korea has the technology to export high-speed train designs, and it is expected to become a springboard for additional orders for the Polish high-speed train project, whose tender is planned in the future”declared Kim Han-Young, President of KNR. “The company will continue to do its best to serve as a platform to support the entry of domestic enterprises into overseas markets.”
As a reminder : in November 2019, King Mohammed VI explained that the introduction of the TGV in the south of the country would encourage economic development, thus representing a political priority. The kingdom also plans to extend the high-speed line from Rabat to Casablanca and Marrakech to provide a full Tangier-Agadir corridor.