“The forecast results at the end of December 2023 augur a maintenance, or even a remarkable improvement, in growth with 52.2 million passengers transported, up 14% compared to 2022, corresponding to a turnover of 2.5 billion dirhams (MMDH) an increase of 15% compared to the year 2022″, indicates the ONCF in a press release, published at the end of its Council of Administration, held on Friday in Rabat, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Mohammed Abdeljalil.
Added to this, a regularity of nearly 89.5% of all trains, notes the same source, noting that “in more than one way and all activities combined, the year 2023 is a good vintage for the ONCF”.
In his opening remarks, the minister wished to recall the place of choice occupied by the railway sector in accelerating the rise in socio-economic development experienced by the Kingdom under the impetus of the enlightened vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, reports the press release.
The major changes made by this vital sector over the last two decades reinforce the ONCF in its strategic choices to establish and promote sustainable, inclusive and accessible mobility capable of best responding to the evolving expectations of customers and strategic challenges, economic and environmental issues of Morocco.
For his part, the Director General of the ONCF, Mohamed Rabie Khlie, recalled that the year 2023 was marked by key moments, the most important of which remains the signing under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, a memorandum of understanding between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United Arab Emirates, aimed at establishing a partnership for investment in high-speed train projects.
“Such progress in the realization of the Kingdom’s railway projects denotes the High Royal Concern to make rail the spearhead of a Moroccan transport system, innovative, intelligent, clean and accessible to all,” indicated Mr. Khlie
In addition, he recalled that the year 2023 was marked by the confirmation of the exceptional recovery of all of its main activities, despite a difficult economic situation.
The Al Boraq trains, which have now been running completely in green mode since 2022, are celebrating their 5th anniversary this year and continue to display unique performances, notes the same source, adding that they will end the year 2023 with more than 5 million passengers. transported, compared to 3 million passengers transported in 2019 which constitutes the reference year before the pandemic, and a continuously increasing turnover of almost 700 million dirhams (MDH), i.e. +23%, compared to 2022.
With regard to passenger activity, the mobility offers offered, the innovative and diversified services, constantly improving both in stations and on board trains, seem to convince more customers every day.
Regarding the goods activity during the year 2023, it stood out with an exceptional performance in car transport, whose transported volume at the end of December 2023 exceeded 450,000 vehicles, an improvement of 20% compared to the same period of the year 2022. Likewise, rail traffic of Tanger Med containers on the dry port of Casablanca has more than doubled compared to 2022.
Faced with a difficult economic situation, ONCF’s goods activity continues to show good resilience. It records more than 17 million tonnes of goods transported during 2023 for a turnover of 1.534 billion dirhams.
Furthermore, all financial indicators, likely as of December 31, 2023, show good performance.
Thanks to the good recovery in passenger activity and the resilience of goods transport activities, the Office plans to achieve a turnover of MAD 4.3 billion in 2023 compared to MAD 4.1 billion in 2022 (i.e. + 4%). These performances support the Office’s strategic choices for better rebalancing between its different areas of activity.
Furthermore, continues the same source, the ONCF continued its momentum of good control of operating costs, despite a context marked by inflation in the prices of materials and energy.
Thus, the Office should generate a probable EBITDA for 2023 of nearly MAD 1.5 billion, a slight increase compared to 2022, reflecting the excellent performance of the ONCF, as a railway operator. Likewise, the self-financing capacity (excluding infrastructure) will exceed 1 billion dirhams and will allow the ONCF to meet its commitments.
As for the 2019-2025 performance maintenance investment program, which totals MAD 17 billion, 64% of it has been committed and almost 46% completed by the end of 2023.
The ONCF Board of Directors examined the probable results for the 2023 financial year and the approval of the 2024 budgets.