Morocco by Train: ONCF Routes, Al Boraq and Tickets

Morocco's big cities are spread far apart — Tangier to Marrakech is over 500 kilometers — and while the motorways are modern, the train is often faster, calmer and cheaper once you add up tolls and fuel. The national railway, ONCF, links the entire northern half of the country, and the Al Boraq high-speed line has made rail travel genuinely exciting. If your itinerary stays north of the Atlas — Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Fes, Meknes, Marrakech — you may never need a car at all.

Al Boraq: Africa's first high-speed train

Launched in 2018, Al Boraq was the first high-speed rail service in Africa. The red-and-silver double-decker trains run at up to 320 km/h between Tangier and Casablanca, calling at Kenitra, Rabat-Agdal and Casa Voyageurs. The headline journey — Tangier to Casablanca in about 2 hours 10 minutes — takes less than half the old travel time and has turned a grueling day trip into an easy hop.

Fares work like airline tickets: the earlier you book, the less you pay. A second-class seat bought well in advance typically starts at around 149 dirhams, rising toward 224 dirhams closer to departure; first class runs roughly 244 to 364 dirhams. Seats are assigned in both classes, and trains on the busy Friday-to-Sunday corridor can sell out, so book a few days ahead for weekend travel.

Key ONCF routes and travel times

Beyond the high-speed line, ONCF's conventional trains cover the north comfortably. The most useful routes for visitors:

• Tangier – Casablanca: about 2h10 on Al Boraq — the fastest rail link in the country.
• Tangier – Rabat: about 1h20 on Al Boraq.
• Casablanca – Rabat: about 1h on the TNR shuttle, which runs up to twice an hour at peak times.
• Casablanca – Marrakech: about 3h, with several departures a day.
• Casablanca – Fes: about 4h via Rabat and Sidi Kacem.
• Tangier – Fes: about 4h30, a handy cross-country link.
• Casablanca – Oujda: about 10h, with day trains and overnight options toward the east.

Note that the rail network ends at Marrakech — there are no trains to Agadir, Essaouira or the Sahara. ONCF's Supratours coaches continue from the stations to those destinations and can be bought as a combined train-plus-coach ticket (Marrakech–Essaouira is the classic pairing). A high-speed extension from Kenitra toward Marrakech is under construction ahead of the 2030 World Cup.

Tickets: classes, prices and where to buy

ONCF runs two classes. First class (Première) means wider seats and a reserved spot on every train. Second class (Seconde) is comfortable, but on conventional trains seating is open — on a packed Friday-afternoon service you could end up standing in the corridor. On Al Boraq both classes have assigned seats, so the difference is mainly comfort and quiet.

Buy tickets at any station counter, on the ONCF Voyageurs website, or in the ONCF app, which issues e-tickets with a QR code — no printing needed, and international cards are accepted online. ONCF also sells youth, senior and loyalty discount cards that pay for themselves within a couple of long trips if you qualify.

Stations: which one do you need?

Morocco's big cities have more than one station, and it matters which you choose. In Casablanca, long-distance and high-speed trains use Casa Voyageurs; the TNR shuttles to Rabat also depart from Casa Port, right in the city center. In Rabat, Al Boraq stops at Rabat-Agdal, while Rabat-Ville is closer to the medina and the Kasbah. The Mohammed V International Airport has its own rail station with shuttle trains into Casablanca. Tangier Ville, Marrakech and Fes each have one main station, all central and easy to reach by petit taxi.