High-speed train to Marrakech: when the new line opens and what it changes
Al Boraq doesn't reach Marrakech yet. Where the Kenitra–Marrakech high-speed line stands, when it should open, the journey times announced and how to travel during the works.
By Ismail6 min read
No, not yet. Al Boraq, Morocco's high-speed train, runs from Tangier to Casablanca, and for Marrakech you still change to a classic Al Atlas train. The new Kenitra–Marrakech high-speed line has been under construction since April 2025 and is due to open in late 2029; until then, the works are changing today's timetables.
Al Boraq today: Tangier to Casablanca, then change
Al Boraq was inaugurated on 15 November 2018 and has carried paying passengers since 26 November 2018. It runs on new high-speed track between Tangier and Kenitra, at up to 320 km/h, then on the upgraded classic line to Rabat and Casablanca. Tangier–Casablanca takes about 2 h 10 to 2 h 30, and the summer 2026 timetable had roughly one train an hour.
For Marrakech, you change to an Al Atlas train, usually at Casablanca Voyageurs (the Marrakech trains also call at Rabat Agdal and Kenitra). With the change, Tangier to Marrakech takes around six hours today. How to book, which class to choose and what tickets cost are in our guide to getting around Morocco.
The Kenitra–Marrakech line: what is being built
King Mohammed VI launched the works on 24 April 2025 at Rabat-Agdal station. The main facts:
- Length and speed: 430 km of new line between Kenitra and Marrakech, designed for up to 350 km/h.
- Stations: Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech, the airports of Rabat and Casablanca (with a new station at Mohammed V airport) and the new Grand Stade Hassan II at Benslimane.
- Cost: about 53 billion dirhams (around €4.8 billion) for the line, within a 96-billion-dirham rail programme that also pays for 168 new trains and work on the existing network.
- Trains: 18 of those 168 are high-speed trains; in March 2025, ONCF signed with Alstom for 18 double-deck Avelia Horizon sets.
- Maintenance: a depot for the trains in Marrakech.
By April 2026, ONCF said all the land had been acquired, about 20 million m³ of earth had been moved, 15 viaducts were under construction and track was being laid on some sections. Work on the first stations started in early 2026.
When will it open?
It's easy to mix up what has been done with what has been promised, so here they are separately.
Done so far
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| March 2025 | ONCF orders 18 high-speed trains from Alstom |
| 24 April 2025 | Works launched at Rabat-Agdal |
| 15 September 2025 | First works timetable on the existing line |
| 21–23 April 2026 | No trains at Marrakech station, coaches instead |
| 25 May 2026 | The transport minister tells Parliament the line is 30% built |
| 7 September 2026 | Decree on the Marrakech–Agadir line published |
| 14 September 2026 | Second works timetable, still in force |
Planned
- In April 2025, ONCF's head of high-speed projects said testing would begin in 2029, with passenger service by the end of that year.
- On 25 May 2026, the transport minister, Abdessamad Kayouh, gave September 2029 as the delivery date.
- Either way, the line should open before the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco co-hosts. Our article on Morocco and the 2030 World Cup covers the host cities and the Benslimane stadium.
With 30% built in May 2026, there is a lot left to do. Treat late 2029 as the earliest realistic date, and don't plan a trip around the new line until ONCF actually sells tickets for it.
Future journey times
The announced targets, next to the current works timetable:
| Journey | Today (November 2026) | Announced after opening |
|---|---|---|
| Rabat – Marrakech | just under 4 h | 1 h 40 |
| Casablanca airport – Marrakech | no direct train | 55 min |
| Tangier – Marrakech | around 6 h, one change | 2 h 40 to 3 h 30 |
| Fes – Marrakech | about 7 h, direct | 3 h 40 |
| Tangier – Casablanca | 2 h 10 to 2 h 30 | 1 h 40 |
The Tangier–Marrakech figures differ: 2 h 40 was ONCF's figure at the launch in 2025, while the minister spoke of three and a half hours in May 2026. For visitors, the airport time may matter most: a long-haul flight into Casablanca would put you in Marrakech about an hour after you leave the airport, which is why our article on nonstop flights from the US looks at both airports. We found no fares announced for the new line yet.
And Agadir?
A second line, from Marrakech to Agadir, is planned but has no date. In May 2026, the minister said the studies were finished, put the cost at about 55 billion dirhams (around €5 billion) and said international funding was being sought; about 70% of the route needs bridges and tunnels to cross the High Atlas. A decree published on 7 September 2026 declared the line of public utility, which opens the way to buying the land, and according to the Moroccan press it also covers a branch towards Essaouira. The government talks of about an hour from Marrakech to Agadir, against more than three hours by road today. No start of works and no opening date have been announced.
Works in 2026: what to check before you travel
The heaviest works are around Casablanca, between Mohammedia and Nouaceur, where the line is being widened to six tracks; ONCF scheduled them from September 2025 to the end of 2027, so expect timetable changes until then. So far:
- Since 15 September 2025, ONCF has run adapted timetables on the first sections affected.
- 21–23 April 2026: no train served Marrakech station; trains stopped at Sidi Brahim and coaches covered the last stretch.
- 5–6 September 2026: the Casablanca airport train was replaced by coaches for 24 hours.
- Since 14 September 2026, a new works timetable applies, with some routes shortened and a few Casablanca suburban stations closing. On it, Marrakech–Casablanca Voyageurs takes about 2 h 55 (about 2 h 40 before the works), and the direct Marrakech–Fes trains run hourly until 17:35 (18:35 on Sundays) and take about 7 hours. The old overnight train to Tangier now runs only between Marrakech and Kenitra (leaving Marrakech at 20:00, arriving at 00:39), so there is no sleeper to Tangier for now.
Our advice:
- Check your train in the ONCF Voyages app or on oncf-voyages.ma a few days before, and again the day before. ONCF's customer line is 2255.
- If a flight depends on the train, take an earlier train than you think you need, or sleep near the airport the night before.
- On works weekends, expect a coach for part of the trip and a longer journey.
Train or road until 2029?
The train remains the easiest way between Marrakech, Casablanca and Rabat, and the obvious choice to Tangier. Elsewhere, the road often wins:
- Casablanca airport to Marrakech. By train it means the airport shuttle, a change and almost three more hours on an Al Atlas, works permitting. By road it is about 230 km, roughly two and a half to three hours. Our 9-day Morocco tour starts at Casablanca airport or at your hotel there.
- Fes to Marrakech. Seven hours on a train makes a long day; our guide to getting from Marrakech to Fes compares train, coach, plane and car. Many travellers turn the journey into a trip through the Sahara: our 3-day tour from Fes to Marrakech crosses the Middle Atlas, spends a night in the dunes of Merzouga and reaches Marrakech over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, and our desert tours from Fes show the other options.
- Tangier to Marrakech. If you come over by ferry from Spain, the train works well: Al Boraq to Casablanca, then an Al Atlas, about six hours in all. Our Spain and Morocco itinerary shows how to fit it in.
If your dates fall during the works, ask us on WhatsApp or contact us: we'll tell you how the trains look that week and whether a driver makes more sense.