ONCF

Office National des Chemins de Fer du Maroc
Logo
Reporting mark	ONCF, ONCFM
Locale	Morocco
Dates of operation	1963–present
Predecessor	Compagnie des chemins de Fer du Maroc ("CFM"); Compagnie franco-espagnole du chemin de fer de Tanger à Fès ("TF")
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) (standard gauge)
Length	1,907 km
Headquarters	8, rue Abderrahmane El Ghafiki, Rabat - Agdal

ONCF or ONCFM (in French - Office National des Chemins de Fer du Maroc, National Office for Railways of Morocco) is Morocco's national railway operator. The Office employs around 9,767 employees and has a network of 1,907 km, all 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge. 1,003 km electrified (2006).^[1]

History

ONCF was created January 1, 1963 as a merger of

• Railways of Morocco (CFM) (French Compagnie des chemins de fer du Maroc)
• Railway of Eastern Morocco (CMO) (French Compagnie du chemin de fer du Maroc oriental)
• Franco-Spanish company of Tanger-Fès (TF) (French Compagnie franco-espagnole du Tanger-Fès)
• Mediterranean-Niger-Railway (MN) (French Chemins de Fer de la Méditerranée au Niger)

The railways have been state-owned since 1963. ONCFM is now expected to be replaced by SMCF, a limited company.^[2]

Network

Moroccan Railnet

The network has a North-South track from Tanger via Rabat and Casablanca to Marrakech. This line connects all major cities along or close to the Atlantic coast.

The other main link is the Northern East to West link from Oujda via Fes and Meknes to Rabat connecting to the N-S tracks in Kentira.

Extension

A major investment program upgrades and extends the network. In 2009, a branch-line of the E-W link was finished, running from Taourirt for 100 km to Nador. This track runs down from the Rif mountains to sealevel at Nador. Most of the route from Taourirt follows the same route as the current national road. The tracks through Nador are underground and after Nador-Ville the track continues to the Port of Nador in Bin Anşār overground again. This new branch-line is used for both passanger and freight trains.

Another project under construction is a short-cut between Rabat and Tanger. When completed trains can run directly to Rabat and Casablanca without having to use the longer route via Meknes. Also in the North a new track is built between Tanger and Ras R'Mel.

Other routes under construction are:

• Casablanca to El-Jadida
• Bypass Meknes, on the Rabat-Fes route

Not yet under construction, but planned are:

• Marrakech - Agadir, and further South to Laayoune
• Oued Zem - Beni Mellal

The platform at the Casablanca Voyageurs station. ONCF train in Casablanca.

Freight only

Oujda Railway Station is the last station for passengers on the East-West link. The lines south of Oudja are for freight only.

Towns served by railways

Main article: Railway stations in Morocco

Railway links to adjacent countries

• Algeria, but the latter is closed since the '90s. - same gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in)
• Melilla, Spain - train terminates at Nador Port, on walking distance of Melilla

Operations

ONCF operates in three main sectors:^[3]

• Passenger transportation; 29.6 million passenger-journeys (2009)
• Goods transportation; 35 million tonnes (2009)
• including phosphates transportation.

Key figures

The turnover of the ONCF was growing, both in passengers and freight, until the decline of the economy in 2007. The number of passengers is still growing but freight figures are down. The total income on passengers (sold train tickets) and freight was in 2009 2,7 billion dirham.

Key figures ONCF 2003-2009^[3]

item	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003
Passenger kilometers in million kilometers	4190	3820	3658	3333	2987	2645	2374
Passengers million	29,6	27.5	26,1	23,6	21,0	18,5	16,5
Freight tons	25.000	30.703	35.859	34.851	34.911	32.901	30.552
Freight million ton kilometers	4110	4986	5794	5827	5919	5563	5146

Planned high speed line

Main article: Kenitra-Tangier high-speed rail line

On September 2006 ONCF proposed a high-speed rail connecting Tangier to Marrakech which will reduce the time of the journey from around 10 hours to only 2 and half hours.^{[4] [5]} This service, if approved, may not be in operation until 2030. In 2007 Systra was appointed to design a 350 km/h alignment between Settat and Marrakech.^[6]

This first part of the Atlantique high-speed link will open in 2015. When operational trains with a capacity of 500 passengers will run every hour and even every 30 minutes in the rush-hour. The CEO of the ONCF, Mohammed Rabie Khlie, expects to carry 8 million passengers per year. The high-speed network should be available for the average Moroccan citizen.^[7]

In December 2010, a contract was signed with Alstom to provide 14 trainsets based on the TGV Duplex.^{[8] [9]}

Electrified

The network that will carry the high-speed-network, from Tanger via Fes to Rabat and Marrakesh are currently already electrified. The lines to the East of Fes are diesel powered only and the majority of the track is single: opposite trains pass each other at selected train-stations.

Investments

For the Tanger-Casablanca line the ONCF will invest 20 billion Moroccan dirham (aprox.US$ 2,5 bln.). Half of this money is needed to construct the track. From the other half 5,6 bln.dirham is needed for technology around the tracks and the remaining 4,4 bln. is needed for the rolling stock.^[4]

The funding of this project is coming from the state (4,8 bln. dirham), one billion from the Hasan II fund for social and economic development. France and the rest of Europe will donate some 2 billion dirham. The remaining 12,3 billion dirham is funded via loans under favourable conditions^[7]

Other projects

Besides the high-speed link discussed above, the company is also developing other projects, including new rail links and extending the network's reach southwards of Marrakech.^[2] One of the new links recently being constructed is a branch line from Taourirt to Nador. On 10 July 2009 king Mohammed VI of Morocco opened the two new railway stations in Nador and the line to Taourirt^[10]

Affiliations

ONCF is a member of the following organizations:

• International Union of Railways (UIC)
• Arab Union of Railways
• Comité du Transport Ferroviaire Maghrebin (CTFM).

Pictures

• 

  DF 100 (similar to SNCF 72000)

• 

  DF 115 (former SNCF 72000) near Taourirt

• 

  DH 370 with a passenger train between Fez and Taza

• 

  Z2M double-decker trainset between Sidi Kacem and Meknès

• 

  E 1100 with an empty phosphate train near Tamdrost

• 

  E 1350 (stronger version of the E 1300) with a loaded phosphate train on its way to Casablanca, near Tamdrost

See also

• Rail transport in Morocco
• Transport in Morocco
• Strait of Gibraltar crossing
• List of stock used by ONCF

References and notes

1. ^ "The World Factbook". CIA. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mo.html#Trans. Retrieved 2007-10-29. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Mohammed Rabie Khlie (August 2007). "Morocco's rail renaissance takes a major step forward". Railway Gazette International. http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/moroccos-rail-renaissance-takes-a-major-step-forward.html. 
3. ^ ^{a b} ONCF website (french) Chiffres clés, visited 14 October 2010
4. ^ ^{a b} Morocco Newsline Morocco to launch $2.5 bln high-speed train line, visited 14 October 2010
5. ^ "Morocco plans Arab world’s first high-speed train". Khaleej Times Online. 2006-09-15. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2006/September/middleeast_September345.xml&section=middleeast. 
6. ^ "TGVs to Marrakech". Railway Gazette International. April 2007. http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view//tgvs-to-marrakech.html. 
7. ^ ^{a b} Railways Africa Moroccan High speed train published 19-02-2010,visited 14 October 2010
8. ^ "Railway Gazette: ONCF to buy 14 Duplex high speed trains". 2010-12-12. http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/oncf-to-buy-14-duplex-high-speed-trains.html. Retrieved 2010-12-12. 
9. ^ Le premier train à grande vitesse (TGV) en Afrique sera Marocain
10. ^ King Mohammed VI opens new reilway stations, visited 4 August 2009

External links

• Official website
• Railfan Europe