Italy’s SITE Company wins €140 Mln contracts for Morocco’s high-speed rail expansion

Morocco’s national railway operator,Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF),has awarded Italian engineering company SITE two contracts worth over €140 million for the new high-speed rail line linking Kénitra to Marrakech.

SITE will provide telecom,power,and cybersecurity systems for the 400-km Kénitra–Marrakech line ahead of 2030 FIFA World Cup organized by Morocco,Spain,and Portugal.

The deal includes two main technology packages: GSM-R mobile telecommunications and rail signaling systems. The signaling package has been awarded to a consortium led by Compagnie des Signaux,and comprising SITE and GCF.

SITE will oversee the design & implementation of the GSM-R telecom system; a high-capacity DWDM data transmission network; cybersecurity architecture for all systems; power systems design & commissioning,along with civil works.

The Kenitra-Marrakech line is part of Morocco’s national rail development strategy,which aims to build 1,300 km of high-speed rail and 3,800 km of medium-speed lines; expand service coverage to 43 cities from the current 23; extend rail access to 87 % of the population.

The new high-speed line will connect strategic intermodal and airport hubs,including Casablanca and Marrakech,as well as stadiums such as Moulay Abdellah and Hassan II,and contribute to the country’s infrastructure modernization for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.