Hyundai Rotem, the train manufacturing arm of Hyundai Motor Group, has secured a KRW2.2tn ($1.53bn) contract to supply advanced double-decker electric trains to Morocco’s national railway operator, ONCF.

This deal marks the company’s first foray into the Moroccan market and is claimed to be its largest single railway supply agreement.

Morocco is enhancing its rail infrastructure in preparation for co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

The maintenance of the new trains will be a collaborative effort between Hyundai Rotem and the Korea Railroad (KORAIL), with details to be finalised in separate negotiations.

These high-speed double-decker trains, capable of reaching up to 160kph, will connect Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city, with key regions across the country.

Hyundai Rotem anticipates that this project will support over 200 small and medium-sized enterprises within Korea’s rail sector, as around 90% of the train components are expected to be supplied by these companies.

This deal is expected to bolster Korea’s expanding influence in the African railway market, building on Hyundai Rotem’s involvement in rail projects across Tunisia, Tanzania, and Egypt.

A Hyundai Rotem official stated: “We will ensure the delivery of high-quality trains that provide safe and convenient transportation for both local citizens and international visitors attending the 2030 World Cup.”

The contract surpasses Hyundai Rotem’s previous major deals, such as the Australian NIF double-decker train project at KRW1.4tn ($976m), the Queensland train supply at KRW1.3tn ($906m), and the Los Angeles Metro train contract at KRW900bn ($627m) for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

In 2024, three of the 17 Hyundai Rotem locomotives ordered by Tanzania Railway Corporation arrived in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

Most of the delivered and ordered cars and locomotives will serve the new standard gauge line between Dar-es-Salaam on the Indian Ocean coast and Morogoro in the mountainous interior.