Morocco
EXPATRIATE PROJECT TEAM SETTLES IN
The SNCF International team, which has a remit to provide its expertise for ONCF, the Morrocan rail operator, with a view to creating High Speed Rail services in the country, left for Morocco in January 2009. Since then, the SNCF experts, working in Rabat, are providing their know-how for the creation of the first High Speed Line on the African continent, which is planned to run between Tangiers and Kenitra, north of Casablanca. The Project Manager, aided by specialists in operations, route design, signalling, electric traction overhead supply technology, rolling stock and sales, etc., is overseeing and coordinating the project, working closely with other experts based in France in the SNCF Rolling Stock, Long Distance Passenger Services and Inexia Divisions. The expertise provided by this team is enshrined in the draft agreement signed on 22 October 2007 between the Republic of France and the Kingdom of Marocco and in the contracts signed between SNCF and ONCF. The experts will be making available their extensive know-how in the preparation, awarding and monitoring of contracts, contracting, operational training, and project management. The team is scheduled to remain in Marocco for around 6 years.
CONTRACTS SIGNED
On 9 April 2009, SNCF Chairman Guillaume Pepy, Karim Ghellab, Morocco's Minister of Transport, and Mohamed Khlie, Chairman of ONCF Moroccan Railways, signed two contracts in Rabat. These set out the conditions for providing project management assistance and expertise for the programme to built the high-speed rail link. The assistance agreements cover project oversight, coordination and consistency. Under the terms of the agreements, SNCF International and Inexia have been commissioned to assist ONCF to build, implement and maintain the route and rolling stock and also to design the commercial offering.
MAINTENANCE AND ASSISTANCE
SNCF International assisted ONCF Moroccan Railways to improve maintenance of electrical and signalling facilities on its conventional rail network.