How did “Al boraq” came to life? — Al Boraq is the name given to the first trains that run on the newly built high-speed (HS) line in Morocco. The new line covers around 194 km between Tangier and Kenitra allowing trains to run with a maximum speed of 320 km/h. The commercial operations on the line were…

Introduction Some five centuries ago, many parts of the world had almost similar levels of economic activities and wealth. Since the Industrial Revolution which started in Britain, roughly between mid-18th and mid-19th centuries, the gap between poor and rich parts of the world did not stop to grow. Few centuries before…

From its first lines until today, the Moroccan railway network has undergone many major changes, especially during the colonial era. Much of the existing network was shaped or built during this same era. Standardisation Morocco was, at the time, colonized by different countries, i.e., France (middle) and Spain (north and south)…

The first appearances of rail transport in Morocco was led by the French and Spanish colonial powers. One of the earliest lines dates back to the Hispano or Spanish-Moroccan War. In 1859, a short line was quickly built to help transport troops and military material during the war. The line…

An overview of the rolling stock, services and maintenance. — As mentioned before the first inaugural trip of Al boraq was in November 2018 marking the beginning of the operations on the line. Commercial operations started effectively in December 2018. Trains (rolling stock) In order to provide the best train services, ONCF have initially ordered 18 trainsets from the French train manufacturer Alstom…

An overview of the line, stations and other structures — The main infrastructure of the high-speed line is made up of the newly built section between Tangier and Kenitra. Trains continue until Casablanca on an existing conventional line which is planned to be upgraded. Line The newly built double-track line between Tangier and Kenitra is around 193 km along Morocco’s west…

The pilgrimage site or Moussem called Sidi Ahmed Ou Moussa is named after the Muslim saint and spiritual leader Ahmed Ou Moussa (d. 1563). He is considered as a descendant of the prophet of Islam (Muhammad), and led a remarkable mystical life in Tazerwalt, a small Berber town in the…