Gulf Construction Online - Bouygues unit wins $443m Morocco high speed rail contract

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Bouygues unit wins $443m Morocco high speed rail contract

13-02-2025

Colas, a subsidiary of the French group Bouygues, said it has been awarded three contracts worth a total of nearly €430 million ($443 million) for the Kenitra - Marrakech High Speed in Morocco.

The company secured these orders from the Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF) though two of its key subsidiaries - GTR (Les Grands Travaux Routiers) and Colas Rail.

The Moroccan subsidiary GTR has been selected for lot no. 3 of the civil engineering works, worth nearly €180 million, while Colas Rail will be responsible for the design and construction of the tracks, catenary systems and substations for a total of €200 million, said a statement from the French group.

The rail subsidiary will also carry out lot no. 1 of the superstructure and civil engineering works on tracks in operation, amounting to €50 million. These three contracts were signed last month, it stated.

These jobs, located between Kenitra and Casablanca, are a continuation of the LGV Nord, which links Tangiers to Kenitra, and aim to extend the rail network as far as Marrakech with world-class infrastructure, in preparation for hosting the 2030 World Cup.

The GTR work, planned to cover almost 40km, includes earthworks, standard engineering works and the construction of 5 bridges. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027.

"We are proud to participate in the development of Morocco's railway infrastructure on behalf of ONCF. This project demonstrates our commitment to the Kingdom's economic development and our support for major initiatives such as the hosting of the 2030 World Cup," remarked Francis Grass, the Executive Vice President EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) of Colas.

The work being carried out by Colas Rail, in a consortium with SETEC, covers tracks, catenary systems, work bases, electrical substations and civil engineering on a 346 km single-track high-speed section and a 112 km single-track section on the regional network. This work is scheduled for completion in 2028.

These projects represent a significant step forward in the development of Morocco's transport infrastructure in support of low-carbon mobility.

"After carrying out the track and catenary work on Morocco's first high-speed line, the Tangier-Kenitra line, between 2014 and 2018, Colas Rail is proud to be continuing the development of high-speed lines in the Kingdom of Morocco", says Hervé Le Joliff, Executive Vice President of Colas Rail.

Present in Morocco for almost a century, Colas has consolidated its position as a major player in public works and railways thanks to emblematic projects in the road, rail and industrial sectors, becoming a key partner in the country's development.-TradeArabia News Service