Morocco King and French PM open Dubai-style tramway
Thousands of people lined the streets last week to see King Muhammed VI of Morocco and French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault officially inaugurate Casablanca’s new tramway. The 31km Casa Tramway, which features Citadis trains supplied by Dubai’s Al Sufouh’s tram designer Alstom, is the first tramway in Morocco. Unusually, it also entered into public service along its entire route. Joining […]
More luxurious versions of the Citadis trams will soon be in operation in Dubai
Thousands of people lined the streets last week to see King Muhammed VI of Morocco and French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault officially inaugurate Casablanca’s new tramway.
The 31km Casa Tramway, which features Citadis trains supplied by Dubai’s Al Sufouh’s tram designer Alstom, is the first tramway in Morocco. Unusually, it also entered into public service along its entire route.
Joining thousands of Casablanca residents and the King and French PM were Morocco’s Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane, the Wali of the Casablanca Region Mohamed Bousaid and the Mayor of Casablanca Mohamed Sajid.
Casa Transports – a public company in charge of Casablanca’s public transport – awarded a contract to Alstom for the supply of 74 Citadis trams in 2009. In 2010, Casa Transports awarded Alstom two additional contracts for the installation of the line’s rail signalling and power supply systems.
The Citadis tramways were built by Alstom Transport with operation and maintenance activities awarded on 13 July 2012 by the organising authority, Casa Transport, to a consortium headed by RATP Dev, a subsidiary of RATP Group, alongside Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion du Maroc and Transinvest.
The new line and its 48 stops connect the city’s eastern and south-eastern areas via the centre. It is part of the city’s ongoing regeneration programme, which will see a major overhaul of its infrastructure and road construction to open up areas for commercial, residential and tourism development.
Casablanca’s first tramway line is scheduled to carry up to 255,000 passengers per day by 2015.
Alstom was awarded a 13-year maintenance contract for the Al Sufouh tramway in Dubai earlier this year where 11 Citadias will be in operation once the 10km track opens in 2014.
