PRESS RELEASE
By improving travel flow between the Kingdomโs major economic and urban hubs, the project will promote more sustainable mobility and enhance territorial connectivity
RABAT, Morocco, July 9, 2026โThe Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) approved โฌ205 million in financing for Morocco to support the implementation of the Rail Infrastructure Development Support Project (PADIF) on 8 July.
The operation aims to strengthen the capacity and operational performance of the KenitraโMarrakech railway corridor, which carries a significant share of the countryโs passenger and freight traffic. It will do so by extending the high-speed rail line (HSR) and upgrading the existing railway infrastructure along this strategic corridor.
By improving travel flow between the Kingdomโs major economic and urban hubs, the project will promote more sustainable mobility and enhance territorial connectivity.
Beyond its positive impact on mobility, the project will support the transition to more sustainable and environmentally friendly transport modes and deliver significant economic benefits by reducing travel times and logistics costs.
โBy combining the extension of the high-speed rail line with the modernisation of existing infrastructure, this operation will help accommodate growing passenger and freight traffic, facilitate trade flows, and reduce travel times,โ said Achraf Tarsim, Head of the African Development Bank Groupโs Country Office in Morocco. โIn the long term, it will strengthen Moroccoโs logistics competitiveness and reinforce its role as a strategic hub linking Europe and Africa.โ
The project includes the acquisition of equipment to modernise railway infrastructure along the KenitraโMarrakech corridor and around the Casablanca rail hub. This includes the supply of new rails and track components for conventional rail lines and the high-speed network, to increase corridor capacity and sustainably improve operational performance.
PADIF also incorporates a project management support component covering project ownership, engineering supervision, and the monitoring and evaluation of results and impacts, ensuring effective implementation.
By contributing to the development of resilient, sustainable, and high-value-added infrastructure, the operation is fully aligned with the African Development Bank Groupโs Four Cardinal Points (https://apo-opa.co/4vWv2Mb) and the institutionโs 2024โ2029 Country Strategy Paper for Morocco. It also supports Moroccoโs New Development Model and the Rail 2040 Plan, which aims to modernise the national railway network.
Since 1978, the African Development Bank Group has mobilised nearly โฌ15 billion to finance more than 150 projects and programmes in Morocco. Its interventions (https://apo-opa.co/4wd803P) span strategic sectors, including transport, social protection, water and sanitation, energy, agriculture, governance, and the financial sector.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media Contact:
Fahd Belbachir
Communication and External Relations Department
African Development Bank Group | media@afdb.org
About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group is Africaโs premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org
SOURCE
African Development Bank Group (AfDB)
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