The Moroccan railway system was established in 1920 by the CMF, French Compagnie des chemins de fer du Maroc. Two railway lines were built that linked Casablanca to Kenitra and Sidi Kacem, both completed in 1925. The Marrakech station was built in 1923 during the French protectorate and was located along Hasan II Avenue.
Morocco’s train infrastructure has not changed in great significance since 1923. However with tourism continuously booming, the Kingdom has plans to expand. In the 44th Green March speech, on November 6th, 2019, King Mohammed VI affirmed that the railway’s “infrastructure should not end in Marrakech, it should continue to the Souss-Massa region, which has enormous agricultural and recreational potential.”
The capital city of the Souss-Massa is Agadir. The city faces the Atlantic Ocean and is a tourism hub with golf courses, seaside cafes, and international restaurants. The discussion to extend the industrial railway was first introduced in November 2015, during the 40th anniversary of the Green March.
The goal is to increase the number of Moroccan railways from 23 to 43. The project is estimated to be a $42 billion investment. The Marrakech-Agadir line is the first priority to receiving funding. Once this is completed, the construction of the Agadir-Dakhla highway will begin.