Grand Casablanca rail transformation moves into a new phase of construction

One year after Morocco launched an ambitious programme to overhaul rail transport in Grand Casablanca, the project is increasingly taking physical shape across the metropolitan area. With an investment of 20 billion dirhams, the initiative is designed to expand railway capacity, improve connections between major urban and economic centres and establish a more integrated public transport network.

The programme was officially launched in Casablanca on September 24, 2025, by King Mohammed VI. It forms part of a wider national railway strategy extending to 2030, with total planned investment of 96 billion dirhams.

Rather than focusing solely on individual stations, the Grand Casablanca programme combines new infrastructure, expanded rail capacity, maintenance facilities and rolling stock. Its scope includes 260 kilometres of new railway lines, 50 structures to be built or expanded, two technicentres, five maintenance centres and 48 new trains for regional and metropolitan services.

Three major stations anchor the expansion

Three large stations are at the centre of the transformation: Casablanca-Sud, Mohammed V Airport and the future Hassan II Grand Stadium station in Benslimane.

Construction is underway at the three sites, with each project scheduled around a 24-month implementation period. Their different functions reflect the changing transport needs of the wider metropolitan region.

The Casablanca-Sud station is being developed as a major interchange between several railway and urban transport systems. Its planned six platforms and ten tracks will allow it to accommodate Al Boraq high-speed trains, long-distance services, regional trains and metropolitan connections.

The station is also designed around multimodal transfers. Links with the tramway, bus rapid transit, conventional buses and taxis are expected to connect rail passengers with other parts of the city and surrounding urban areas.

At Mohammed V Airport, the planned railway station is intended to strengthen the relationship between Casablanca’s principal air gateway and the metropolitan rail network.

The facility will provide a direct connection with the airport terminal while also incorporating a dedicated city-side entrance serving the Nouaceur area. Four platforms and seven tracks are planned: two for conventional rail services, two for high-speed trains and three for the future Aéroexpress service.

The third major project is linked to the future Hassan II Grand Stadium in Benslimane. Its railway infrastructure is being designed to handle substantial passenger movements during major sporting and cultural events while also supporting the development of new urban centres around the stadium.

The station will combine high-speed services with metropolitan rail. Two platforms and four high-speed tracks will be available for major events, while five platforms and six tracks will serve proximity trains connecting Benslimane with municipalities in the Casablanca and Rabat regions.

Ten new stations to bring metropolitan rail closer to passengers

Alongside the three flagship stations, ten new facilities dedicated to metropolitan proximity services are being developed across the region.

The planned stations are located at Mohammedia Facultés, Zenata Zone Industrielle, Zenata Ville Nouvelle, Sidi Bernoussi, Aïn Sebaâ, Hay Mohammadi, Mers Sultan, Casa Oasis, Sidi Maârouf and Nouaceur Nouvelle Ville.

Their distribution is intended to strengthen connections between railway services and the metropolitan areas where people live and work. The stations are being developed according to a common architectural framework designed to simplify passenger movement between urban entrances, concourses and platforms.

Reception, ticketing and waiting areas will be incorporated alongside the technical and security systems required for railway operations.

The emphasis on proximity is significant for the metropolitan network. By adding stations within established and emerging residential and employment areas, the programme is intended to make rail services more accessible while increasing the density of connections across Grand Casablanca.

Infrastructure expansion goes beyond the stations

The station construction programme represents only one element of the broader railway transformation.

The planned 260 kilometres of new tracks will increase the physical capacity of the network, while the construction and expansion of 50 engineering structures will support the development of new and upgraded routes.

Two technicentres and five maintenance centres are also included, providing additional operational infrastructure for an expanded railway system. The acquisition of 48 new trains is expected to complement these investments by increasing the fleet available for regional and metropolitan services.

Taken together, these components point to a network-wide approach rather than a series of isolated construction projects.

A new framework for metropolitan mobility

Grand Casablanca is experiencing continued urban and economic development, creating growing demands for connections between residential districts, employment zones, transport hubs and emerging urban centres.

The railway programme seeks to respond to these changes by increasing capacity while improving links between rail and other forms of public transportation.

The integration of high-speed services, conventional trains and metropolitan proximity services within a broader multimodal network is intended to provide passengers with more interconnected travel options.

For the National Railways Office (ONCF), the programme represents a major stage in the longer-term development of Morocco’s railway system. Its implementation will depend not only on the completion of stations and tracks, but also on the coordinated deployment of trains, maintenance infrastructure and connections with urban transport.

One year after the initial launch, construction activity across the main sites indicates that the Grand Casablanca railway programme has entered a substantial implementation phase. The projects now underway are expected to shape the metropolitan transport landscape as Morocco moves towards its 2030 infrastructure objectives.