Marrakech: Holding of the 11th edition of the UIC World Congress on High Speed
The deployment in Morocco of high-speed rail lines is an absolute necessity and a bold and realistic decision, underlined Tuesday, March 7, 2023 in Marrakech, the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Mr. Mohammed ABDELJALIL.
“The deployment of the high-speed line denotes the sense of realism of the public authorities, providing a structural response to a level of mobility in sustained growth, combined with the imperatives of sustainable development and regional planning”, noted Mr. ABDELJALIL at the opening of the 11th edition of the World Congress of the International Union of Railways (UIC) on high speed, which is held under the theme “High Speed Rail: the right speed for our planet “.
And to point out that “the profound multifaceted changes have been accelerated following the perverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, encouraging the actors to take, with courage and in good collective intelligence, the path of transformation, of reinvention and innovation, particularly in our mobility models of tomorrow so that it is more sustainable and more inclusive”.
In this context, Mr. ABDELJALIL cited the advent, in November 2018, of the “Al Boraq” High Speed Train linking Tangier to Casablanca, a project which constituted the first stage of an ambitious master plan, relating to the development of 1,500 km of high-speed lines and 3,800 km of conventional lines, highlighting the remarkable performance recorded by “Al Boraq” which confirms the relevance of our country’s strategic choice in terms of the development of the railway system national and truly affirm the benefits, material and immaterial denoted in several registers.
“The deployment of the high-speed line has been a qualitative leap that has contributed to improving the competitiveness and constant attractiveness of using the train in the daily journeys of citizens, thus constituting a reference model in terms of improving public services, which encourages us to pursue, with determination, the ambition of deploying by 2030, the second stage of this master plan, to extend our high-speed network to Agadir, which embodies the centrality of modern Morocco” , he added.
“This step, which requires the mobilization of nearly 10 billion euros, will result in denser coverage of the Atlantic Axis by the high-speed network taking it to more than 800 km”, indicated Mr. ABDELJALIL , noting that “in addition to the intrinsic effects of this system, such a development is likely to reposition rail, a low-carbon mode par excellence, as the backbone of sustainable mobility within our country, while benefiting capacity freed up for a network of local regional rail transport”.
Furthermore, he noted that the crucial issue of a profound transformation of the transport sector lies in the integration of the imperatives of sustainable development and the increasingly growing needs for green and clean mobility, as one of the reliable and efficient solutions, for an eco-responsible citizen transport system able to contribute to guaranteeing the prosperity of the population and the sustainability for a healthy planet.
Placed under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, the 11th edition of the UIC World Congress on High Speed is attended by representatives of international railway organizations, government officials, leaders of railway undertakings, experts, managers specializing in high-speed rail, researchers and railway industrialists.
Organized under the aegis of UIC and the Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF), the UIC High Speed World Congress represents the best framework for maximizing the added value of railways for the community. and to share the latest technological advances.The Congress features panel discussions, parallel sessions where attendees will have access to in-depth presentations, discussions and exchanges on the latest technologies and achievements in high-speed rail planning, construction, technology and design. equipment, operation and safety management, in addition to a day entirely dedicated to technical visits.