Africa’s first high-speed train
Initially earmarked for 2017, Morocco’s high-speed rail service, the TGV which is currently 85% completed will now be finished in June 2018. The flagship new line will connect Tangier with Morocco’s economic capital, Casablanca and will be the first high-speed train in Africa.
The new train will reach speeds of 200 miles per hour and will cut the journey time between the two cities by more than half – to just over two hours, instead of the current five hour journey. The TGV will reach double the speed of South Africa’s Gautrain.
The $2 billion project has been in development for a decade, and is expected to boost tourism, support wider economic growth in the cities, and ultimately recoup the investment on it. Morocco received the first carriage for the high-speed train in July 2015.
King Mohammed VI and former French President Nicolas Sarkozy launched the project which was then scheduled for completed in December 2015. The launch date for the high speed-train was later postponed due to delays in construction.
Morocco’s high-speed Tangier to Casablanca service will soon welcome its first passengers.
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