ONCF is pursuing its national programme to remove level crossings, which was first presented to His Majesty the King on 14 November 2012 in Ben Guerir, and whose positive results are beginning to show in the significant drop in accidents both at level crossings as well as on open railway lines.

As part of this initiative, a new railway bridge built at Aïn Harrouda to replace level crossing 1005 was inaugurated on 5 March 2015 by the Governor of Mohammedia and managers from Moroccan National Railways, with the aim to increase both rail and road traffic safety, improve traffic flow, and bolster the sustainable mobility of people and goods.

The building of this structure and access to it, which required an investment of 18 million Moroccan dirhams (over one million euros), comes under ONCF’s ambitious programme to invest 1.5 billion dirhams between 2010 and 2015 to improve safety around level crossings as well as on open railway lines.

With regard to level crossings, this programme focuses on three priority areas:

–  Remove 180 level crossings, that is to say 50% of existing level crossings across the national network and 100% of level crossings on double track railway lines (Fez-Casablanca-Marrakech, Casablanca El Jadida).
–  Secure 260 unmanned level crossings by installing warning (sound and light) signals and automatic barrier protection as a train approaches.
–  Not to build any more level crossings in future projects.

(Source: ONCF)