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Suggest pagesRail transport in Morocco
Rail transport in Morocco is operated by the ONCF. It is the continent's second most developed rail transport system, after South Africa's.[citation needed]
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[edit] Main connections
The main network for passenger-transport consists of a North-South link from Tanger via Rabat and Casablanca to Marrakesh and this N/S link interconnects with the East-West connection linking Oujda in the East via Fes to Rabat.
The most important long-distance train services are:
| From: | To: (and vice-versa) | via / change at: | traveltime[1] | Number of trains per day[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casablanca | Fes | - | 3h20m | 18 x |
| Casablanca | Tangier | - | 4h45m | 8 x |
| Casablanca | Oujda | direct or via Fes | 10h | 3 x (one of them night-train) |
| Casablanca | Nador | direct (1x), via Fes or with transfer in Taourirt | 8h30m up tot 10h |
4 trains/day of which 2 are night-trains |
| Marrakesh | Fes | - | 7h10m | 8 x |
| Marrakesh | Tangier | via Casablanca Voyageurs | 9h30m | 6 x one direct night-train |
| Tanger | Oujda | direct link at daytime night-train change at Sidi Kacem |
10h20m (day) 10h35m (night) |
one day train, one night-train |
| Nador | Taourirt | gives connection to E-W mainline | 1h42m | 3 x (the direct night-train to/from Casablanca doesn't stop in Taourirt) |
| Casablanca | Oued Zem | - | 3h | 1 x |
[edit] Night trains
The ONCF operates special night-trains on the long-distance main-line links. The following routes offer night-trains:
These long-distance trains operate with non-motorized passenger cars that have individual compartments. Second class compartments have two couches opposite each other, each couch offering 4 places. In first-class cars each compartment offers 2 x 3 places and foldable arm-rests divides the places. In 1st class each passenger has an reserved assigned seat.
Each compartment has its own door to the aisle and curtains can be drawn to keep the compartment dark. In the night-trains, passengers in a 2nd class compartment tend to draw the curtains, switch off the lights and close the sliding door, hoping that no passengers will enter their compartment so the existing passengers have more space. In first class each seat is assigned thus there the system doesn't work.
When trains are not busy you can be lucky and have a full couch available per passenger so you can lie down.
Besides these 'normal' compartments (that are also used on day-time trains, the special night-trains also offer sleeper-cars with bedrooms/compartments or couchettes. For a bed or couchette you pay a fixed price, regardless of the route or distance traveled. Beds and couchettes have to be reserved when you buy your ticket.[2]
| Bed and couchette-prices Moroccan trains[2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | persons per compartment | Adult | Child (up to 12 years old) (accompanied by an adult) |
| Bed | 1 | Dh. 600 | Dh. 490 |
| Bed | 2 | Dh. 460 | Dh. 340 |
| Couchette | 4 | Dh. 350 | Dh. 280 |
[edit] Marrakech-Tangier vv
Every day there is one train on the route Marrakech-Tanger in each direction. On this route the standard 6 or 8 person compartments are available as well as the 4 person couchette-compartments.
timetable: Departure Marrakech at 21:00 with stops at (amongst others) Casablanca Voyageurs (0:45), Rabat-Ville (1:57), Kentira (2:37) and Sidi-Kacem (3:33). Arriving in Tangier at 7:25 hrs.
Departure Tangier at 21:05, Sidi-Kacem (1:30), Kentira (2:35), Rabat (3:15), Casablanca (4:30) and arriving in Marrakech at 08:05 hrs.[2]
[edit] Casablanca-Oujda vv
The time-tables for Oujda trains are:[2]
Deoarture Oudja: 21:00, Taorirt (22:43), Fez (3:00), Kentira (4:30), Rabat (6:15) and arriving at Casablanca-Voyageurs: 07:15 hrs
Deoarture Casablanca-Voyageurs: 21:15, Rabat (22:23), Kentira (22:51), Fez (1:30), Taorirt (5:03), terminating Oujda: 07:00 hrs.
This train is a so called Hotel train
[edit] Casablanca-Nador vv
Dept. Nador: 19:43 hrs, Fez (1:00) arriving in Casablanca at 06:15 hrs.
Dept. Casablanca: 19:45, Fez (0:15) arriving in Nador at 06:00.[3]
Nador is not start/terminus: trains run from/to Bin Anşār or Nador Port
[edit] Tangier-Nador vv
Leaving Nador: 17:43 hrs, Fes (23:00) and terminating in Tanger at 07:00
start: Tangier 21:35, Fes (2:30) arrival in Nador at 09:32[3] start/terminus: trains run from/to Bin Anşār or Nador Port
[edit] Hotel-train
The 21:00 Oujda-Casablanca and 21:15 Casablanca-Oujda train is a so called Hotel-Train: these trains ONLY offer reserved sleeping places and no 1st and 2nd class seats. This special Hotel Train service started on 29 June 2010[2]
[edit] History
[edit] Railway links to adjacent countries
Algeria, has been closed since the '90s. - same gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Spain: Since 2003 there are studies being done about the creation of a direct link with Spain via a railway tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar. This tunnel will connect the Moroccan rail-infrastructure with the European via Spain.[4] In Tanger the tunnel would connect to the -currently being built- High Speed Line Tanger-Marrakesh.
- Western Sahara: Via the proposed network-extension from Marrakesh via Guelmim to El Aaiún would connect Morocco to the Western Sahara (which they claim to be Moroccan) and could give connection to African coutries to the South of Morocco.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Online Timetable ONCF based on trains for 2 May 2011, (french website) checked 2 May 2011
- ^ a b c d e ONCF website information on Trains du Nuit (French), visited 19 July 2011
- ^ a b ONCF Website Grand Lignes Nador-Casablanca, Visited 20 Juli, 2011
- ^ BBC News: Africa and Europe set for tunnel-link published 13-3-2007, visited 2 May 2011
[edit] See also
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