Green Light for Avelia Horizon: New Era of High-Speed Rail Begins

MOROCCO: The national railway, ONCF, has officially inked a deal worth €781 million with Alstom for the delivery of 18 Avelia Horizon high-speed trainsets.

This new fleet will enhance the existing high-speed rail network by extending the Tanger – Kénitra line an additional 430 kilometers to reach Casablanca and Marrakech.

The initial agreement was revealed during French President emmanuel Macron’s visit to King Mohammed VI in October 2024.

On March 28, Alstom confirmed that the contract is now finalized. Their Avelia Horizon trains are built for speeds over 300 km/h and feature compact power cars along with double-deck articulated coaches. This design maximizes seating capacity, ultimately lowering costs per passenger seat.

This order is part of a broader initiative that includes CAF supplying an additional 30 electric trainsets for inter-city routes at speeds of up to 200 km/h between Fez, Kénitra, and Marrakech. simultaneously occurring, Hyundai rotem will deliver a total of 110 double-deck electric multiple units capable of reaching speeds up to160 km/h for suburban and regional travel.

The three contracts emerged from competitive discussions with leading global rolling stock manufacturers and are backed by financing from partners in their respective countries.