Morocco overtakes Algeria in railway lines

Morocco has largely surpassed Algeria in major projects, notably railway lines. In record time, Morocco managed to connect north to south and west to east by rail lines thanks to ambitious programs including the connection of 35 cities and the linking of 12 ports and 15 airports by train.

Morocco is making great strides in the development of the railway sector, both by modernizing stations and expanding the railway network. Over the last two decades, thanks to the completion of several major structuring projects as part of the successive investment programs of the National Railway Office (ONCF), Morocco has succeeded in expanding and modernizing its railway network, thus ensuring a position of choice both at the continental and regional level.

On the other hand, Algeria, led by the “kabayas” and which has resources similar to those of the Emirates and Qatar, has accomplished practically nothing for its citizens. The latter are still waiting for a change of regime to catch up with the hoped-for development of North African countries.

Six years ago, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune visited residents of the Tamanrasset region and promised them a rail line connecting them to northern cities. Nothing has been achieved. Algeria’s railway lines are mainly used for the commercial transport of minerals and the country’s wealth to ports, while lines intended to transport citizens have lagged significantly over the past two decades.

Furthermore, despite the availability of “oil and gas” energy sources, successive governments have failed to connect several cities by rail lines. Algeria has retained the lines put in place by the French colonizer. The question remains: where did the Algerians’ money go? A large part of citizens remain without adequate means of transport, suffering daily from long and arduous journeys, thus delaying the country on the path to development.