Morocco train photos 2004

Morocco

Morocco facts & history in brief

Morocco trains
Excerpted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia.

Trains are an excellent choice when you're looking for a safe, fast and comfortable way to travel in Morocco.
The rail network is extended by connecting bus services.
Train travel in Morocco is a pretty relaxed affair.
The trains, operated by the state owned ONCF, are modern, safe, clean, fast and cheap.
Connections are convenient in most cases.
Most trains have air-conditioning and have drinks and snacks available from a snack cart.
Most stations have facilities such as a coffee shop and a kiosk that sells snacks, drinks, newspapers and magazines.
The main stations also have staffed baggage service where you can leave your bags for up to 24 hours.
The intercity network connects the major cities between Fes and Marrakech, with branches to Tanger and Oujda.
ONCF also run regular services between Casablanca and El Jadida.
There is one daily train from Safi to Benguerir, and one in the opposite direction.
Two trains per day connect Casablanca to Khouribga, with one these services continuing to Oued Zem.
You will find electronic displays in the halls of all main stations.
Showing the departure times and destinations for trains leaving in the next couple of hours, as well as the platform number and additional details.
The information is shown in both Arabic and French. These displays sometimes show two final destinations for the same train: one of them involves a change of trains.
The station where you have to change is indicated behind the destination.
Look out for the words "Correspondance à".
This information is also printed on your ticket.
Electronic displays on the platforms make finding your train easy.
These displays also tell you whether the train is delayed.
There are two types of trains in Morocco: local express shuttles (TNR for "Train Navette Rapide") and air-conditioned long distance trains (TRC, for "Train Rapide Climatisé").
The latter are slightly more expensive.
Almost all intercity trains are TRC's.
Train categories are indicated on timetables, electronic displays and tickets.
Your ticket also indicates at what station, if any, you need to change trains.
Look for the name behind the words "Correspondance à:".
Mind that your ticket may also indicate a car ("voiture"), compartment ("compartiment") and seat ("place") number.
This information is redundant, unless you reserved
a seat in first class.
Tickets are sold at railway stations and authorised travel agents.
You'll find the fares extremely good value compared to train travel in the US and Europe.
For current fares ("tariff's"), see the ONCF website at http://www.oncf.ma/.
You can not pay with credit cards at the ticket window.
First class offers bigger seats and more legroom, while second class may be more crowded.
However, Moroccan trains offer the same level of comfort as "western" trains, so travelling first really is an unnecessary luxury.
Then again, for a few dollars more, you might as well spoil yourself.
Regular one-way and return tickets can be bought from six days before your journey.
"Rail & Route" tickets, which include a bus drive as part of your journey, are available from one month before departure.
Tickets and reservations for train journeys that include sleeping accommodation can be bought two months in advance.
See the Night services section below. It is not possible to reserve seats in second class.
There is a service connecting Casablanca's Mohamed V airport to the main stations (Casa Port and Casa Voyageurs) in the city.
The trains run every hour from early morning to late at night.
Marrakech is the southernmost destination on the rail network.
However, the ONCF's own bus operator Supratours provides connecting services from Marrakech.
There are overnight services between Marrakech and Tangier and between Casablanca and Fes/Oujda.
All night trains have couchettes, 4 or 6 bunkbeds in each compartment.
Some trains also offer sleeper cars with 1 or 2 beds, your own toilet and a washbasin.
Each couchette and sleeper car has its own attendant for security.
He'll also wake you in time for your stop.
Couchettes and sleepers have to be reserved in advance, and a supplement payment apply.
Sleepers also require a first class ticket.
You can reserve sleeping accommodation two months in advance, but this is not possible from abroad.

Hui Chin and I travelled by train all over in Morocco. We both like the comfort and roominess of train and the mobility of course.
Travelling by plane or long distance bus your movements are somewhat restricted compared with train travel.
We found the Moroccan trains very modern, clean and comfortable, but travelling in the countryside there is rampant vandalism.
Between Tangier and Rabat, a journey of about four hours, five stones were thrown at our train (Ones that landed on our coach), and four windows were shattered.
These stone throwings sound like loud explosions, when hitting the train or window and quite disturbing.

Another reason for choosing rail travel of course was, because I just love trains and train travel, but you all knew that already.

List of photo pages in my Morocco series.


Casablanca        Marrakesh or Marrakech        Morocco buses       Morocco trains



Royal Mansour Meridien Hotel, Casablanca



Rabat        Tangier

Some of my photos taken of the Moroccan trains (Click for an enlargement)

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Moroccan train.	Moroccan train.	Moroccan train.	Moroccan train.
Moroccan train.	Moroccan train.	Moroccan train.	Moroccan train.

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