Morocco’s national railway authority ONCF has issued a tender for the construction of a section of the planned third railway track linking the city of Zenata and Kenitra.

The tender covers work between Mohammedia and KM30 and forms part of the wider investment programme to increase the capacity of the Tangier-Marrakech railway line.

Technical and financial bids are due to be submitted by 28 November. A site visit will take place on the 12 November.

Increased rail capacity is needed to meet Morocco’s anticipated growth in demand for freight transportation capacity, particularly given the increasing amount of shipping traffic passing through the port of Tangier.

Financing for the project was secured from the African Development Bank in December 2010. The bank lent the ONCF a five-year investment loan of €300m ($406.7m). Total project costs amounted to €438.2m, with the remainder of the funds to be raised by the rail authority.