Egis Engineering's Role in Morocco's High-Speed Rail Expansion
On November 3, 2023, Egis, a renowned French engineering group, outlined the scope of its assistance mission to the National Office of Railways (ONCF) in Morocco. This collaboration focuses on the design, construction, and commissioning of technical centers and maintenance stations associated with the extension of the high-speed rail line from Kenitra to Marrakech. This partnership aims to ensure that the future trains are ready for service upon their arrival, marking a significant advancement in Morocco's rail infrastructure.
Egis is acting as the project management assistant for the design and execution of these essential facilities. The firm has established a dedicated division for the technical centers and maintenance stations, working closely with the project owner throughout three critical phases: project preparation from the design stage, monitoring interfaces during construction, and integrating systems until the facilities are operational. Their mission encompasses all aspects of the integration process, from initial project preparation to testing and final acceptance, ensuring a seamless transition into operational status.
As part of its responsibilities, Egis oversees the master schedule, assesses risks, reviews program modifications, and tracks exemption requests. The firm also supervises the progress of execution studies by reviewing documents produced by contractors. This role of oversight and coordination, performed on behalf of ONCF, allows other contractors to focus on the construction of buildings and the provision of industrial equipment, ensuring a streamlined approach to project management.
Comprehensive Infrastructure Development
The integration scope includes various components such as track, overhead line equipment, signaling systems, buildings, workshop equipment, and rolling stock. Each site will feature comprehensive railway installations, electrical systems, safety devices, maintenance machines, and specifications unique to the new trains. Any incompatibility in dimensions, power supply, signaling, or equipment installation could potentially hinder a train's access to a workshop or delay testing phases.
Egis is also responsible for liaising with ONCF teams regarding the reception and assembly of trains in the new technical centers. This task involves managing the material conditions for train arrival, their assembly on-site, and their entry into maintenance workshops. The workshops planned by ONCF are part of a broader program designed to accommodate multiple categories of new rolling stock beyond just the high-speed trains from Alstom.
Additionally, Egis's mission extends to the establishment of maintenance posts, ancillary workshops, and logistical warehouses. The company monitors the construction of buildings and the installation of industrial equipment, prepares testing campaigns, and compiles the necessary technical documentation for the transition to operational status. Egis also develops dashboards for the project, generating weekly and monthly reports to maintain oversight on industrial organization, parts flow, maintenance methods, and the technical acceptance of installations.
As the lead for project management assistance for the technical centers, Egis coordinates with various contractors and project managers to ensure adherence to functional programs. The firm supports ONCF in managing contracts and provides recommendations regarding the future use of depots. This structure differentiates between general integration and specialized control of buildings, while a third component coordinates civil engineering studies and track works, overseeing technical configurations and the synthesis of execution plans.
According to ONCF’s 2024 activity report, the program includes three technical centers located in Fez, Nouaceur (north), and Marrakech, alongside nine maintenance stations distributed between Fez and Marrakech. Initially, ONCF had planned to commence construction in February 2026; however, the 2023 report indicated only one maintenance center in Marrakech, whereas the subsequent edition expanded the initiative to three major workshops supported by nine intermediary facilities.
The technical centers will handle heavy operations, specialized equipment, spare parts inventory, and maintenance teams responsible for in-depth servicing. The stations along the network will facilitate routine inspections, quick interventions, and storage of trains, thereby enhancing the operational efficiency of Morocco's rail services.
Egis has been involved in the high-speed rail extension for several years, having been entrusted by ONCF in 2022 with an assistance mission that also includes external control of studies across three geographical areas: from Kenitra to Ain Sebaa, Ain Sebaa to Nouaceur, and Nouaceur to Marrakech. This central section notably includes the railway bypass around Casablanca, featuring nearly 60 kilometers of quadruple tracks under live traffic. Egis’s involvement now extends to the necessary industrial facilities for train maintenance.
The technical centers are part of a railway program with a budget of 96 billion dirhams, officially launched in April 2025. ONCF has allocated funding across various categories, including 53 billion dirhams for the high-speed rail line and its non-rolling stock equipment, 29 billion dirhams for the acquisition of 168 trains, and 14 billion dirhams for the preservation and adaptation of the existing network.
Among the new fleet are eighteen Avelia Horizon trains ordered from Alstom for 781 million euros (approximately 8.56 billion dirhams). Designed for the extension to Marrakech, these double-deck trains feature two locomotives flanking articulated cars. ONCF has also established separate contracts for intercity trains and local railcars, ensuring a comprehensive upgrade to the Moroccan rail network.
As reported by barlamane.com.
