Rail Plan 2040: Traininag to increase the local industrial integration rate
The final stretch is underway for the completion of the study on the implementation of training programs for professionals in the rail sector.
The business opportunities arising from the contracts that ONCF has signed with CAF and Hyundai Rotem cover the manufacture of railway components, the development of on-board digital services and predictive maintenance solutions based on AI and IoT
After defining the scope of the occupations identified under the Rail Plan 2040, the MoroccoTraIndustry (MTI) cluster, commissioned by ONCF, met with professionals who expressed their needs and advised the cluster to address the most urgent matters first—namely, to begin with the conventional train manufacturing contracts that ONCF awarded in February 2025 to the Spanish company CAF and the South Korean company Hyundai Rotem.
Industry professionals believe, in fact, that these priority contracts should be the initial focus to gain a foothold in the market, given that deliveries are scheduled to begin as early as 2027. According to a source close to the MTI cluster, this proposal was ultimately adopted. The outsourcing needs of the two manufacturers have already been identified, and training programs are set to begin imminently to increase the rate of industrial integration and gradually move toward a “Train made in Morocco” , as indicated in the study jointly published by ICEX (Exportación e Inversiones) and the Economic and Commercial Section of the Spanish Embassy in Rabat.
As a reminder, the project involves the acquisition of 168 new trains, 150 of which are intended for intercity, rapid commuter, and metropolitan services on the conventional rail network, while the remaining 18 will be integrated into the future high-speed network to Marrakech. Deliveries are scheduled between 2027 and 2030, to align with Morocco’s preparations for hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal. CAF will produce 40 intercity trains for the Moroccan rail network and will carry out certain activities locally in Morocco, including for its export markets. The company already has a presence in Morocco through its signaling division, which has previously been involved in projects at the Casa-Port station and on segments of the national electrified network. Meanwhile, Hyundai Rotem will manufacture 110 trains, comprising 60 rapid shuttle units and 50 regional trains, and is committed to establishing production capacity in Morocco with the construction of a new plant in Benguérir, in the region of Marrakech.
Aziz Diouf
