MOROCCO IS ACCELERATING! feature - Alstom
MOROCCO IS ACCELERATING! feature - Alstom
MOROCCO IS ACCELERATING! feature - Alstom
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18<br />
<strong>feature</strong><br />
Why has Morocco chosen a very<br />
high-speed line between Tangiers<br />
and Casablanca?<br />
I would fi rst like to emphasise that this choice<br />
was made after a great deal of refl ection,<br />
and that it is a logical and natural <strong>feature</strong><br />
of our country’s rail development. For many<br />
years now, in fact, passenger traffi c has seen<br />
a two fi gure growth. Frequentation on the<br />
Tangiers-Casablanca route – now saturated –<br />
for instance, increased by more than 70%<br />
between 2002 and 2010.<br />
This new high-speed line will connect<br />
two of the country’s major economic poles<br />
in 2 hours 10 minutes compared with<br />
4 hours 45 minutes today. We will be providing<br />
services every hour compared with every<br />
two hours today. Consequently,<br />
the conventional line, freed of traffi c,<br />
will be dedicated to freight and will be able<br />
to meet the very substantial traffi c<br />
demands between the port of Tanger Med<br />
and Casablanca.<br />
We are expecting a major transfer<br />
of customers: the line’s current passengers<br />
will be attracted by this new offer which<br />
will bring them real added value in terms<br />
of journey times, frequency and comfort.<br />
Another detail: the train will be accessible<br />
to almost everyone thanks to a modular<br />
pricing policy. A yield management system<br />
will take into account our customers’<br />
purchasing power. Prices will be adapted for<br />
each target, depending on whether the period<br />
is peak or off peak, on journey frequency,<br />
and so on… This price optimisation is part<br />
of a well thought out and balanced<br />
business model. We know already that<br />
its socio-economic profi tability is better<br />
than that of a conventional service.<br />
All the major European intercity<br />
(more than 150 km) rail projects currently<br />
in progress will be very high speed.<br />
Morocco is naturally following this trend.<br />
I would add that this project is expected<br />
to have very signifi cant national benefi ts.<br />
Rabat station.