The deal entails Hyundai Rotem supplying Morocco with advanced trains, as it marks its entrance into the Moroccan market and establishes a new benchmark as the company’s biggest railway supply agreement.
The press release issued by, Hyundai Rotem, the train manufacturing subsidiary of South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group, disclosed that it would be supplying ONCF, Morocco’s national railway operator, with double-decker electric trains.
Prior to this new development, Hyundai Rotem’s most expensive contracts were the Australian NIF double-decker train project worth 1.4 trillion won, the Australian Queensland train supply contract worth 1.3 trillion won, and the Los Angeles Metro train contract worth 900 billion won for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
The double-decker trains, which can travel at speeds of up to 160 kph, will connect Morocco’s main city, Casablanca, with major areas, improving the country’s public transportation system ahead of the co-hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Certain parts of the trains will be manufactured domestically to assist the growth of Morocco’s railway sector.
As reported by the KoreaHerald, the trains will be maintained jointly by Hyundai Rotem and the Korea Railroad Corp. through separate arrangements.
The agreement is also likely to strengthen Korea’s position in the African railway sector.
Hyundai Rotem has assisted on projects in Tunisia, Tanzania, and Egypt, and this current deal is expected to help it compete in future bids.
“We will ensure the delivery of high-quality trains that provide safe and convenient transportation for both local citizens and international visitors attending the 2030 World Cup,” a Hyundai Rotem official said.
The company revealed that the deal will benefit more than 200 small and medium-sized Korean rail sector companies, which will supply about 90 percent of the components.
