Trains in Morocco

[Watershed]

I'm currently planning a trip to Morocco where I'll be flying into Casablanca and back from Gibraltar.

One thing I'm very much struggling with is to establish what sort of train is used on each line. Wikipedia and other online sources indicate a mixture of diesel and electric locos, plus EMUs. But there is little information on what's used for each service (other than obviously the TGV clones for the high speed services) and I can't find a timetable anywhere, just a journey planner on the ONCF website.

From what I can gather, the entire network west of Fez is now electrified. However, there are through trains that run to the likes of Nador and Oujda from west of Fez. Do these trains change between electric and diesel traction at Fez, or do they run diesel under the wires west of Fez?

Are these (or any other) trains particularly worthwhile doing? I have 3 days to get from Casa to the Rock so just considering what would be best to do in the time available. I'm thinking of visiting Casa, Rabat and Tanger but perhaps one of those is much more worthwhile seeing than the others.

 

[dutchflyer]

Have been there twice, last time still pre-covid. Did most of that electric part then between Tanger and Casa, 1st time starting Marrakesh, overnight to Tanger.
About all these main ´IC´ trains are old-style SNCF corail stock: Loco+coaches, so change of engine die->elec. Mostly on a fairly fixed 2-hourly daytime frequency. Around Casa, incl. aeroport, also BE-style 3-car sets for regional services.
THE best well known and interesting touristy town is Marrakesh by far, then the railless seaside Agadir. Casa and Rabat are perhaps just mildly interesting in an international view, but both have trams.
What is worthwhile to see will depend on interest and in a forum like this its either only rails/trains or maybe also wider general touristy. Be more clear!
You could go to that Marrakesh and use overnite to Tanger from there. Also corail-style couchette.

 

[Watershed]

Have been there twice, last time still pre-covid. Did most of that electric part then between Tanger and Casa, 1st time starting Marrakesh, overnight to Tanger.
About all these main ´IC´ trains are old-style SNCF corail stock: Loco+coaches, so change of engine die->elec.

Ah, that's a shame but to be honest, I'd have been surprised if it were any other way. Diesel under the wires is the kind of nonsense that tends to mostly happen in the UK!

Mostly on a fairly fixed 2-hourly daytime frequency. Around Casa, incl. aeroport, also BE-style 3-car sets for regional services.
THE best well known and interesting touristy town is Marrakesh by far, then the railless seaside Agadir. Casa and Rabat are perhaps just mildly interesting in an international view, but both have trams.

I was originally thinking of visiting Marrakesh and Agadir on a future trip - once the new line to Agadir opens. Perhaps Marrakesh is worth a visit this time already though?

What is worthwhile to see will depend on interest and in a forum like this its either only rails/trains or maybe also wider general touristy. Be more clear!

Well, probably a bit of both in all honesty! It'd be great if I could take a nice train with old stock to get to an interesting city. Are Fez or any of the cities further east worthwhile visiting from either a railway or 'tourist' standpoint?

You could go to that Marrakesh and use overnite to Tanger from there. Also corail-style couchette.

Good point, hadn't considered that option. I don't tend to sleep particularly well on sleepers though so I'd prefer to go for daytime trains where feasible.

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

Simply Railway has a video on the Marrakesh-Tangier night train.

Nonstop Eurotrip has a video on the daytime Casablanca-Fes train.

 

[Austriantrain]

Ah, that's a shame but to be honest, I'd have been surprised if it were any other way. Diesel under the wires is the kind of nonsense that tends to mostly happen in the UK!


I was originally thinking of visiting Marrakesh and Agadir on a future trip - once the new line to Agadir opens. Perhaps Marrakesh is worth a visit this time already though?


Well, probably a bit of both in all honesty! It'd be great if I could take a nice train with old stock to get to an interesting city. Are Fez or any of the cities further east worthwhile visiting from either a railway or 'tourist' standpoint?


Good point, hadn't considered that option. I don't tend to sleep particularly well on sleepers though so I'd prefer to go for daytime trains where feasible.

Fez is more than worthwhile for tourists, more like a „must see“ in my opinion. Meknes is also interesting.

 

[nwales58]

also BE-style 3-car sets for regional services

Fleet of double-deck Italian sets came into service a decade ago to supplement those.
Moroccans are very good at keeping things working though, so the Belgian sets could see life extension.

If filling time in a place find the Medina, the old centre. Generally the French built a new town with boulevards and pavement cafes alongside the old one rather than obliterating it. Fès is the most obvious where they are a mile or two apart with separate railway stations Ville and Medina, Tanger is obvious on the hill. But even in Rabat a tiny Medina still exists just north of the market hall, although across the river Salè the Medina is much larger.

 

[MarkyT]

If filling time in a place find the Medina, the old centre. Generally the French built a new town with boulevards and pavement cafes alongside the old one rather than obliterating it. Fès is the most obvious where they are a mile or two apart with separate railway stations Ville and Medina, Tanger is obvious on the hill. But even in Rabat a tiny Medina still exists just north of the market hall, although across the river Salè the Medina is much larger.

It's about a mile from Fes station to the edge of the old walled city. The station was developed in open land between old and new settlements and the new city has since expanded and filled in to the station. On leaving to the east the single line skirts the south of the old city through tunnels and valleys and there's what looks like an old station site to the east which would be walkable but I can find no mention of its history or even existence online and there's certainly no advertised service today. It's possible such a station may have closed when the original narrow gauge lines in the area were converted to standard, west of Fes in the 1920s, east in the 30s. The medinas are certainly an experience. I was quite disorientated initially my first time in Marrakesh, but soon started building a mental map of the maze and getting my bearings. By the time we reached Fes a few days later, I was fully acclimatised.