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ONCF

The ONCF (, lit. 'National office of railways';, , lit. 'National office of railway transport') is the national railway operator of Morocco. It is a state-owned enterprise under the supervision of the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, responsible for passenger and freight transport on the national rail network, as well as for the construction, operation, and maintenance of railway infrastructure.[1]

As of 2025, ONCF employs 6,696 people and operates a railway network of 2,295 km of lines and 3,848 km of track, all built to standard gauge. Of this network, 64% of the lines are electrified.[2][3]

The current Director General of ONCF is Mohamed Rabie Khlie, who has held the position since 2005. The organisation is headquartered in Rabat.[1][4]

Creation

The railways have been state-owned since the formation of ONCF, created in 1963 as a merger of various private companies:

  • Railways of Morocco – CFM (French: Compagnie des chemins de fer du Maroc)
  • Railway of Eastern Morocco – CMO (French: Compagnie du chemin de fer du Maroc oriental)
  • Franco-Spanish company of Tanger-Fès – TF (French: Compagnie franco-espagnole du Tanger-Fès)
  • Mediterranean-Niger-Railway (MN) (French Chemins de Fer de la Méditerranée au Niger)

Business mission

ONCF performs several operations and has as a mission to:[5]

  • Exploit the rail infrastructure
  • Study, build and maintain the train lines in the network
  • Exploit all the businesses related to railway services locally and nationally

Institutional reforms

ONCF has undergone several institutional reforms before becoming a state-owned company. Further institutional reforms are expected in order to open the national railway market to competition. Plans were made in 2007 to re-form it into a limited company fully owned by the Moroccan State to be called SMCF (French: Société Marocaine des Chemins de Fer) but this hasn't materialized by the planned deadline in 2012.[6]

Network

The network has a north–south track from Tangier via Rabat and Casablanca to Marrakesh. This line connects all major cities along or close to the Atlantic coast. In September 2012, ONCF started upgrading the Casablanca-Kenitra main line to improve capacity.[7]

The other main link is the Northern East to West link from Oujda via Fez and Meknes to Rabat connecting to the N-S tracks in Kenitra.

For the (main) destinations where there is no train service (yet) the ONCF operates their own bus company Supratours offering connecting bus services from the nearest railway station to places like Agadir, Tétouan or Essaouira[8][9]

Towns served by railways

Extensions

A major investment program upgrades and extends the network. In 2009, a branch-line of the E-W link was completed, running from Taourirt for 100 km to Nador. This track runs down from the Rif mountains to sealevel at Nador. Most of the route from Taourirt follows the same route as the National Road 19. The tracks through Nador are underground and after Nador Ville the track continues to the Nador Port in Bin Anşār above ground again. This new branch-line is used for both passenger and freight trains with several passenger trains serving Fez, Rabat to Casablanca or to Tangier. There are 6 trains per day: some demanding change at Taourirt wye - others provide direct services up to Casablanca. The night-train (dep. 19:47 from Nador) doesn't even stop at Taourirt[10] and thus doesn't have to change travel-direction.

Another project completed in 2010 is a short-cut between Rabat and Tangier. When completed trains can run directly to Rabat and Casablanca without having to use the longer route via Sidi Kasim. Also in the north a new track is built between Tangier and Ras R'Mel.

Other routes under construction are:

Not yet under construction, but planned are: The most important project is the development of a "high-speed link" (TGV) from Tangier via Rabat and Casablanca to Marrakesh. The main contractor of this project is French company Alstom. The French president Nicolas Sarkozy was guest on 29 September 2011 when the actual construction of the line started. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in 2012[11]

  • Casablanca to El Jadida
  • Bypass via Meknes, on the Rabat–Fez route
  • Marrakesh – Agadir, and then an extension further south to Laâyoune
  • Oued Zem – Beni Mellal

Freight

Oujda railway station is the last station for passengers on the east–west link. The lines south of Oujda are for freight only and until the passenger-service starts the link Tangier-Tanger MED is also only operated for freight: mainly for the Renault factory at the port[12]

Railway links to adjacent countries

  • There was a link to Algeria, but the border is now closed.
  • Melilla, Spain – train terminates at Nador Port, within walking distance of Melilla.

Services

The company makes a difference between the long-distance "Grandes Lignes", high-speed shuttle trains between Rabat and Casablanca, Urban transport in the Casablanca region and the "train by road" via daughter-company Supratours[13]

On the mainline (Grand Lignes) several trains are operated per day. In the first class all chairs are assigned seats. On three main routes the ONCF operate special night trains with either full beds in private rooms of couchettes. On the Oujda-Casablanca route they run a "hotel train" which only offers beds and couchettes, no seats. These "Voyage de Nuit" is available on:[14]

And on the route Tangier-Nador vv there is no official "night train" with beds or couchettes, but there is a night service from Tangier to Oujda or Nador[15]

  • Casablanca-Oujda via Rabat, Sale, Fez and Taourirt: Train – Hôtel : Dep. Casablanca: 21:15 Arriving Oujda at 07:00
  • Oujda-Casablanca, Departure: 21:00, Taourirt 22:43, Fez: 03:00 Rabat: 06:15, Casablanca: 07:15
  • Marrakesh–Tangier via Casablanca, Rabat, Kenitra: Departure: 21:00, Casa: 0:45, Rabat: 1:57, Tangier: 07:25
  • Tangier–Marrakesh: Tangier: 21:05, Kenitra: 2:35, Rabat: 3:15, Casablanca: 4:30, Marrakesh: 08:05
  • Casablanca - Nador:[15] Departure: 19:45, Fez: 0:15, Nador arrival: 06:00
  • Nador-Casablanca: Nador Ville: 19:43, Fez: 01:00, Casablanca: 06:15 (Marrakesh: 10:05 with train of 06:50 from Casa)
  • Nador-Tangier: Departure: 17:43, Fez: 01:00 and arrival in Tangier: 07:00
  • Tangier-Nador: Departure: 21:35, Fez: 2:30, Taourirt: 7:45, Nador: 09:32

Operations

ONCF operates in three main sectors:[16]

  • Passenger transportation; 29.6 million passenger-journeys (2009)
  • Goods transportation; 35 million tonnes (2009)
  • including phosphates transportation.

Key figures

The turnover of the ONCF was growing, both in passengers and freight, until the decline of the economy in 2007. The number of passengers is still growing but freight figures are down. The total income on passengers (sold train tickets) and freight was in 2009 2.7 billion dirham.

High-speed rail

In September 2006 ONCF proposed a high-speed rail connecting Tangier to Marrakesh which will reduce the time of the journey from around 10 hours to only 3 1/2 hours.[19] [20] This service, if approved, may not be in operation until 2035. In 2007 Systra was appointed to design a 350 km/h alignment between Settat and Marrakesh.[21]

This first part of the Atlantique high-speed link opened in 2018. It's 186 km long, holds the African rail speed record at 357 km/h and connects Tangier with Casablanca in 2 hours and 10 minutes (down from 4h45m previously). It was built for 9 million Euros per kilometer and ONCF projects that it carries 6 million passengers per year. [22]

In December 2010, a contract was signed with Alstom to provide 14 trainsets based on the TGV Duplex.[23][24]

Electrified

The network that will carry the high-speed-network, from Tangier via Fez to Rabat and Marrakesh are currently already electrified. The lines to the east of Fez are diesel powered only and the majority of the track is single: opposite trains pass each other at selected train-stations.

Investments

For the Tangier-Casablanca line the ONCF will invest 20 billion Moroccan dirham (approx. US$2.5 bln.). Half of this money is needed to construct the track. From the other half 5.6 bln. dirham is needed for technology around the tracks and the remaining 4.4 bln. is needed for the rolling stock.[19]

The funding of this project is coming from the state (4.8 bln. dirham), one billion from the Hasan II fund for social and economic development. France and the rest of Europe will donate some 2 billion dirham. The remaining 12.3 billion dirham is funded via loans under favourable conditions[25]

Other projects

Besides the high-speed link discussed above, the company is also developing other projects, including new rail links and extending the network's reach southwards of Marrakesh.[6] One of the new links recently being constructed is a branch line from Taourirt to Nador. On 10 July 2009 king Mohammed VI of Morocco opened the two new railway stations in Nador and the line to Taourirt[26]

Affiliations

ONCF is a member of the following organizations:

  • International Union of Railways (UIC)
  • Arab Union of Railways
  • Comité du Transport Ferroviaire Maghrebin (CTFM).

Rolling stock

In December 2019 and according to a 2018 agreement, ONCF received the first Prima M4 electric locomotives of 30 more units that will be delivered by Alstom.[27]

See also

  • Rail transport in Morocco
  • Transport in Morocco
  • Strait of Gibraltar crossing
  • List of stock used by ONCF

References and notes

External links

References

  1. Rapport Annuel 2015 ONCF, 2015, retrieved 2017-05-30^
  2. Rapport Financier Semestriel 2025 ONCF, 30 June 2025, retrieved 31 March 2026^
  3. Recueil Statistiques édition 2025 ONCF, retrieved 31 March 2026^
  4. The World Factbook CIA, retrieved 2007-10-29^
  5. Statut & Mission entreprise.oncf.ma, retrieved 2017-05-30^
  6. Mohammed Rabie Khlie. Morocco's rail renaissance takes a major step forward Railway Gazette International, August 2007, retrieved 2010-02-17^
  7. Casablanca – Kénitra upgrading starts Railway Gazette International, retrieved 30 September 2012^
  8. ONCF website about Supratours bus services, visited 7 July 2012^
  9. ONCF website on Main lines with route-map, visited 25 June 2012^
  10. ONCF website and timetables on Nador-Casablanca route, visited 7 July 2012^
  11. BBC News: Nicolas Sarkozy visits Morocco for TGV rail-link launch, 29 September 2011. Visited: 25 June 2012^
  12. ONCF press-release: Premier train de voitures entre l'usine Renault et Tanger Med, 7 March 2012. Visited: 25 June 2012^
  13. ONCF website on Offre de transport (left menu bar), visited 7 July 2012^
  14. Website ONCF with info on Night trains, visited 31-5-2012^
  15. Website ONCF with info on Trains from/to Nador Nador^
  16. ONCF website (French) Chiffres clés, visited 14 October 2010^
  17. Key figures from Annual Report 2011, page 16. Visited 2 June 2012^
  18. Chiffres clés ONCF ONCF Entreprise, ONCF, retrieved 2014-07-20^
  19. Morocco Newsline Morocco to launch $2.5 bln high-speed train line, visited 14 October 2010^
  20. Morocco plans Arab world's first high-speed train Khaleej Times Online, 2006-09-15^
  21. TGVs to Marrakech Railway Gazette International, April 2007, retrieved 2010-02-17^
  22. Africa’s first high-speed line is a triumph 2024-11-13^
  23. Railway Gazette: ONCF to buy 14 Duplex high speed trains 2010-12-12, retrieved 2010-12-12^
  24. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaL2BdeGmaE&feature=player_embedded#! Le premier train à grande vitesse (TGV) en Afrique sera Marocain]^
  25. Railways Africa Moroccan High speed train published 19-02-2010, visited 14 October 2010^
  26. King Mohammed VI opens new reilway stations, visited 4 August 2009^
  27. Alstom steps up in Morocco RailTech.com, 8 January 2020, retrieved 2020-01-11^