RABAT, July 10 – The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a €205 million loan to support the next phase of Morocco’s high-speed rail expansion between Kenitra and Marrakech.
The funding will go toward the Railway Infrastructure Development Support Project (PADIF), which includes extending the high-speed rail line and upgrading conventional rail infrastructure along one of the country’s busiest passenger and freight corridors.
The project will also finance the supply of new rails and switching equipment, while work will be carried out around the Casablanca rail hub to improve traffic flow and increase network capacity.
According to the AfDB, the investment is expected to help the railway handle growing passenger and freight demand, shorten travel times and strengthen Morocco’s position as a transport and logistics hub linking Europe and Africa.
The loan also covers project management, including engineering supervision, contract oversight, and monitoring to support the implementation of the project.
The financing aligns with the bank’s 2024–2029 Country Strategic Paper for Morocco and supports the country’s Rail 2040 plan to modernise its railway network.
Construction of the 430-kilometre Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed line was launched by King Mohammed VI in April 2025 as part of a MAD96 billion programme. The extension builds on the Tangier-Kenitra line, inaugurated in 2018 as Africa’s first high-speed rail service, and is expected to improve connections between Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The AfDB has financed Morocco’s transport sector for decades, with total commitments nearing €15 billion across more than 150 projects since 1978.
