On 3 November, Mr André Leboucher (SNCF) was presented with the insignia of Knight of the National Order of Merit – one of France’s highest awards together with the Legion of Honour – by Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, UIC Director-General. The ceremony, held at UIC, was attended by a number of railway personalities including Guillaume Pepy, President of SNCF, as well as several representatives from Moroccan Railways (ONCF) such as Mohammed Smouni, Director of the Development Unit, Ms Sanae Rassouni, Director of Institutional Relations, Mrs Fatima Lassiri, Finance Director, Khalid Khairane, Project Director of the High Speed Line and Richard Ramonet, Technical Operation Director in Rabat. Bernard Gambrill, from Union Railway, former Director of Public Affairs of CTRL (Channel Tunnel Rail Link) also attended the ceremony.

Mr André Leboucher has achieved success in a number of senior positions abroad, such as his role in 2007 as project manager for the concession to manage the High Speed 1 line in the UK, or as part of the high speed project in Morocco, following the signature of an agreement paving the way for the building of a high speed link between Tangier and Casablanca.