''Train Navette Rapide'' ("Fast Shuttle Train", more commonly known as the "TNR" or "Aouita") is a
Moroccan rail service operated by the
ONCF
ONCF (from French: ''Office National des Chemins de Fer''; ar, المكتب الوطني للسكك الحديدية ''Al-Maktab al-Waṭaniy lil-Sikak al-Ḥadīdiyyah''; ''Moroccan National Railways Office'') is Morocco's national railway ope ...
. Its first phase runs from
Casablanca to
Kénitra
Kenitra ( ar, القُنَيْطَرَة, , , ; ber, ⵇⵏⵉⵟⵔⴰ, Qniṭra; french: Kénitra) is a city in north western Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey from 1932 to 1956. It is a port on the Sebou river, has a population in 201 ...
with a half-hourly service in each direction, between 6 a.m. and 9.30 p.m. The concept was based on existing Moroccan transport links.
TNR Casablanca - Kenitra
History
On 21 May 1984, following the doubling of the Casablanca—Rabat line, the TNR made its first journey on the line from to . It was named the "Aouita". It connected the two cities with 14 trains a day in each direction, journeys taking under an hour. The TNR service was provided by eight
EMU
The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus '' Dromaius''. The emu ...
s, each with 271 seats and air conditioning.
Spurred by its success, the ONCF added 32 centre-aisle coaches in 1992, and in 1995 added a second series of six air-conditioned EMUs.
To improve the service, more infrastructure projects were undertaken to extend the line to
Salé
Salé ( ar, سلا, salā, ; ber, ⵙⵍⴰ, sla) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the right bank of the Bou Regreg river, opposite the national capital Rabat, for which it serves as a commuter town. Founded in about 1030 by the Banu Ifran, ...
and on to
Kénitra
Kenitra ( ar, القُنَيْطَرَة, , , ; ber, ⵇⵏⵉⵟⵔⴰ, Qniṭra; french: Kénitra) is a city in north western Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey from 1932 to 1956. It is a port on the Sebou river, has a population in 201 ...
, which was made possible by
doubling the line between them (in 1992) and constructing a tunnel at
Rabat Agdal (in 1996).
In 2002, the service was increased to sixty trains a day in each direction (30,000 seats/day), half-hourly during off-peak and every 15 minutes during peak hours.
In 2010, the TNR carried over 15 million passengers, half of the entire traffic, with 3 million season-ticket holders.
Route map
Plans
Service improvements
* Increase of train frequency to 15 minute intervals, and 5 minute intervals in peak hours. This will be possible with the implementation of
ETCS
The European Train Control System (ETCS) is the signalling and control component of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). It is a replacement for legacy train protection systems and designed to replace the many incompatible s ...
signalling.
* Construction of the
Al Boraq
Al Boraq () is a high-speed rail service between Casablanca and Tangier, operated by ONCF in Morocco. The first of its kind on the African continent, the high-speed service was inaugurated on 15 November 2018 by King Mohammed VI of Morocco, f ...
and tripling of tracks between Rabat and Casablanca to separate slower and high-speed trains, and to improve the speed of the TNR at the Casablanca-Kenitra hub.
Extension
An extension of the TNR service in the north-west of Kenitra is also planned, to serve the
Atlantic Free Zone and the town of
Sidi Yahya El Gharb
Sidi Yahya El Gharb is a town in Sidi Slimane Province, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Morocco. According to the 2004 census it has a population of 31,705.
Prior to June 2010 Sidi Yahya El Gharb was in Kénitra Province
Kenitra Province ( ar, إقليم ...
.
Expansion
The TNR concept has been rolled out to other lines:
* June 1993:
Casablanca –
Mohammed V International Airport
Mohammed V International Airport, ; ber, ⴰⵣⴰⴳⵯⵣ ⴰⴳⵔⵖⵍⴰⵏ ⵎⵓⵃⵎⵎⴷ ⵡⵙ5; french: Aéroport International de Mohammed V is an international airport serving Casablanca, Morocco. Located in Nouaceur Province ...
; this route was renamed
Al Bidaoui in 2002 after service upgrades.
* June 2002:
Casablanca –
El Jadida
El Jadida (, ; originally known in Berber as Maziɣen or Mazighen; known in Portuguese as Mazagão) is a major port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, located 96 km south of the city of Casablanca, in the province of El Jadida and the ...
; service was increased in June 2007 to a departure every 2 hours in each direction.
* June 2008:
Casablanca -
Settat
Settat ( ar, سطات, siṭṭāt, ber, ⵥⴻⵟⵟⴰⵜ, ẓeṭṭat) is a city in Morocco between the national capital Rabat and Marrakesh. Settat is located by road south of the centre of Casablanca, roughly an hour's drive. It is the ...
; 34 trains a day between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m.
By steadily increasing the number and frequency of trains, the TNR has become part of daily life for a new generation of commuters, the "".
Route map
See also
*
Rail transport in Morocco
Rail transport in Morocco is operated by the national railway operator ONCF. It was initially developed during the Morocco#French and Spanish protectorates: 1912 to 1956, protectorate.
High speed rail
On 26 November 2018, the first high-speed r ...
References
{{reflist
External links
ONCF official website
Rail transport in Morocco
Railway services introduced in 1984