Hyundai Rotem of South Korea has been awarded a contract valued at around $487.3 million to provide maintenance and repair services for Morocco’s incoming fleet of double-decker electric trains. The 20-year maintenance deal applies to all 440 rail cars that the company is preparing to supply to Morocco’s national railway operator, ONCF. According to a press release issued by Hyundai Rotem, the agreement was formally signed at ONCF headquarters in Rabat by Hyundai Rotem CEO Lee Yong-bae and ONCF Director General Mohamed Rabie Khlie. The company described the arrangement as the largest overseas rail maintenance deal ever secured by Hyundai Rotem.
The agreement will be carried out through a joint venture established by Hyundai Rotem and ONCF. As part of the maintenance deal, Hyundai Rotem will provide spare parts required for servicing and repair operations, operate a dedicated helpdesk, and deliver technology support for heavy maintenance activities. Heavy maintenance encompasses extensive inspection procedures, testing, repairs, and component replacement work designed to maintain train performance while ensuring operational safety.
This latest contract follows a much larger agreement concluded in February 2025. At that time, Hyundai Rotem, participating as part of the K-Railway One Team consortium, secured a KRW 2.2 trillion ($1.5 billion) order from ONCF to manufacture 440 double-decker electric multiple units. The trains are designed to operate at speeds of 160 km/h and are intended to link Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city, with other key urban centers across the country. The newly signed maintenance deal expands Hyundai Rotem’s role beyond train manufacturing, extending South Korea’s participation in Morocco’s railway sector into long-term operational and technical support.
Hyundai Rotem stated that it expects the agreement to contribute to the enhancement of public transportation in Morocco while also supporting its ambitions in the wider African railway market. Spare parts needed under the program will be sourced from more than 200 small and mid-sized Korean companies that serve as Hyundai Rotem’s domestic partners. The company said this structure is expected to encourage mutual growth between Korea’s rail industry and Morocco’s railway sector.
“We will work to contribute to the development of local rail infrastructure and the strengthening of public transport through this contract with the ONCF,” a Hyundai Rotem official stated.
Morocco continues to invest significantly in expanding its conventional rail network ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The country remains the only nation in Africa operating a high-speed rail service, with the Al Boraq line connecting Tangier and Casablanca since its launch in 2018.
