Rail transport in Morocco is operated by the ONCF. It is the continent's second most developed rail transport system, after South Africa's.
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The main network for passenger-transport consists of a North-South link from Tanger via Rabat and Casablanca to Marrakesh and this N/S link interconnects with the East-West connection linking Oujda in the East via Fes to Rabat.
The most important long-distance train services are:
| From: | To: (and vice-versa) | via / change at: | traveltime[1] | Number of trains per day[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casablanca | Fes | - | 3h20m | 18 x |
| Casablanca | Tangier | - | 4h45m | 8 x |
| Casablanca | Oujda | direct or via Fes | 10h | 3 x (one of them night-train) |
| Casablanca | Nador | direct (1x), via Fes or with transfer in Taourirt | 8h30m up tot 10h |
4 trains/day of which 2 are night-trains |
| Marrakesh | Fes | - | 7h10m | 8 x |
| Marrakesh | Tangier | via Casablanca Voyageurs | 9h30m | 6 x one direct night-train |
| Tanger | Oujda | direct link at daytime night-train change at Sidi Kacem |
10h20m (day) 10h35m (night) |
one day train, one night-train |
| Nador | Taourirt | gives connection to E-W mainline | 1h42m | 3 x (the direct night-train to/from Casablanca doesn't stop in Taourirt) |
| Casablanca | Oued Zem | - | 3h | 1 x |
The ONCF operates special night-trains on the long-distance main-line links. The following routes offer night-trains:
These long-distance trains operate with non-motorized passenger cars that have individual compartments. Second class compartments have two couches opposite each other, each couch offering 4 places. In first-class cars each compartment offers 2 x 3 places and foldable arm-rests divides the places. In 1st class each passenger has an reserved assigned seat.
Each compartment has its own door to the aisle and curtains can be drawn to keep the compartment dark. In the night-trains, passengers in a 2nd class compartment tend to draw the curtains, switch off the lights and close the sliding door, hoping that no passengers will enter their compartment so the existing passengers have more space. In first class each seat is assigned thus there the system doesn't work.
When trains are not busy you can be lucky and have a full couch available per passenger so you can lie down.
Besides these 'normal' compartments (that are also used on day-time trains, the special night-trains also offer sleeper-cars with bedrooms/compartments or couchettes. For a bed or couchette you pay a fixed price, regardless of the route or distance traveled. Beds and couchettes have to be reserved when you buy your ticket.[2]
| Bed and couchette-prices Moroccan trains[2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | persons per compartment | Adult | Child (up to 12 years old) (accompanied by an adult) |
| Bed | 1 | Dh. 600 | Dh. 490 |
| Bed | 2 | Dh. 460 | Dh. 340 |
| Couchette | 4 | Dh. 350 | Dh. 280 |
Every day there is one train on the route Marrakech-Tanger in each direction. On this route the standard 6 or 8 person compartments are available as well as the 4 person couchette-compartments.
timetable: Departure Marrakech at 21:00 with stops at (amongst others) Casablanca Voyageurs (0:45), Rabat-Ville (1:57), Kentira (2:37) and Sidi-Kacem (3:33). Arriving in Tangier at 7:25 hrs.
Departure Tangier at 21:05, Sidi-Kacem (1:30), Kentira (2:35), Rabat (3:15), Casablanca (4:30) and arriving in Marrakech at 08:05 hrs.[2]
The time-tables for Oujda trains are:[2]
Deoarture Oudja: 21:00, Taorirt (22:43), Fez (3:00), Kentira (4:30), Rabat (6:15) and arriving at Casablanca-Voyageurs: 07:15 hrs
Deoarture Casablanca-Voyageurs: 21:15, Rabat (22:23), Kentira (22:51), Fez (1:30), Taorirt (5:03), terminating Oujda: 07:00 hrs.
This train is a so called Hotel train
Dept. Nador: 19:43 hrs, Fez (1:00) arriving in Casablanca at 06:15 hrs.
Dept. Casablanca: 19:45, Fez (0:15) arriving in Nador at 06:00.[3]
Nador is not start/terminus: trains run from/to Bin Anşār or Nador Port
Leaving Nador: 17:43 hrs, Fes (23:00) and terminating in Tanger at 07:00
start: Tangier 21:35, Fes (2:30) arrival in Nador at 09:32[3] start/terminus: trains run from/to Bin Anşār or Nador Port
The 21:00 Oujda-Casablanca and 21:15 Casablanca-Oujda train is a so called Hotel-Train: these trains ONLY offer reserved sleeping places and no 1st and 2nd class seats. This special Hotel Train service started on 29 June 2010[2]
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