The Casablanca Tramway is a low-floor tram system in Casablanca, Morocco., it consists of two lines—ط1 from Sidi Moumen to Lissasfa, and ط2 from Sidi Bernoussi to Ain Diab—which intersect at 2 points and form a 47 km network with 71 stations. Two additional lines, ط3 and ط4, are scheduled to open in 2022.
History
The Casablanca Tramway is the second modern tram system in Morocco, after the Rabat-Salé tramway, but is longer and has more stations. It was first inaugurated by King Muhammad VI on 12 December 2012. At that time, it consisted of one 31-kilometre Y-shaped line with 48 stops, connecting Sidi Moumen in the east with Ain Diab and the Facultés district in the west. The line forked toward Ain Diab and Facultés after Abdelmoumen Station. A second line was opened 24 January 2019. It connects Sidi Bernoussi to Ain Diab, using the segment of the previously existing line from the split to Ain Diab. Line 1 was also extended from Facultés to Lissasfa.
Construction
on the first line was provided by Casablanca Transports en Site Aménagé, a limited company created for the purpose in March 2009. Stakeholders were the Ministry of Finance & the Interior, local government, and several institutional investors. Casa Transports awarded the construction contract to a global group headed by the French group Systra. Project support was subcontracted to the Spanish group Ayesa Tecnología. Preparatory work started in 2009, with construction of the first line starting in 2010. The line was inaugurated on 12 December 2012 by King Mohammed VI, with French Prime MinisterJean-Marc Ayrault in attendance. Commercial services started the next day. The of Zones 1 and 3 were constructed by Yapı Merkezi, the of Zone 2 was constructed by Colas Rail.
, Line 1 of the Casablanca Tramway serves 36 stations between termini in Sidi Moumen and Lissasfa. The line is 23.5 km long and takes 73 minutes from one terminus to the other. It opened December 2012, and was extended January 2019.
, the Line T2 runs from Ain Diab to Sidi Bernoussi, via the Ain Sebaa, Hay Hassani, Al Fida and Derb Sultan districts. It uses the segment from the split to Ain Diab in the previous configuration, in addition to new line.
Operation
Travel time between termini is around 69 minutes from Facultés and 77 minutes from Hay Hassani. With a 75% priority at junctions, the average speed comes close to. On weekdays, the tramway runs from 06:30 to 22:00 at weekends it runs from 06:30 to 23:30. Service averages were planned to be every minutes in peak hours and minutes off-peak. Casa Transport awarded a five-year contract to operate the tramway to the CasaTram consortium of RATP Group, Caisse de dépôt et de gestion and Transinvest as partners. In January 2016 RATP Group became the sole shareholder. Following a competitive tender process, RATP Group was awarded a further contract until December 2029 having beaten bids from a National Express / ALSA / ONCF consortium and Transdev. Engie Ineo and Engie Cofely Morocco supplied signaling and other systems for Line 2 as well an extension of Line 1.
Rolling stock
The tramway is operated by 74 Alstom Citadis type 302 low-floor trams, built by Alstom in France. Final assembly was completed in Reichshoffen, Alsace. Trams have air conditioning and tinted windows, and an information system in both Arabic and French. They typically in pairs with a total length of. A further 50 are to be delivered in 2018 to operate Line T2. In July 2017, Alstom, Bombardier / CAF, CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive and Škoda Transportation were shortlisted to bid for a contract for 100 trams for Lines T3 and T4.
Fares
Ticket prices are subsidised by the Moroccan government and the city of Casablanca, and set at a flat rate of 6 dirhams per journey, with a weekly season ticket at 60 dirhams and a monthly season ticket at 230 dirhams. Fares are paid by a paper smart card at turnstiles on each station platform Students get a reduced monthly season ticket of 150 dirhams. A combined tram-and-bus fare is being considered.
Usage
In the first month of service, between and passengers used the service each day, on average. A survey in June 2013 recorded commuters. By 2013, the tramway had met its objectives by carrying over passengers a day. From 2015, passengers a day are expected on Line T1.
Incidents
Tramway operations have resulted in many accidents: in the first 13 months, 180 accidents were reported.
On 1 April 2013, a lorry hit a tramcar at full speed. Both the lorry and tram drivers were injured, according to a witness. The impact was so hard that part of the tram was derailed.
Two days later on 4 August 2013, a motorcyclist was hit by a tram and died.
On 14 January 2014, a man died after being hit by a tram.
On 24 April 2014, a 26-year-old woman was fatally injured by the tram.
On 4 July 2014, a coach owned by a private firm failed to give way to the tram, and struck it. Part of the tram was derailed.
On 13 January 2015, a rider who entered the tram platform died after being hit.
On 8 November 2017, two teenagers on a motorcycle were injured after hitting a tram line.
On 26 December 2017, two women were struck crossing the tramway and were injured.
Future
The Schéma directeur d'aménagement urbain and the Plan de déplacement urbain for Greater Casablanca foresee a final network of 4 tramway lines, two traversal and two radial. These lines will interchange with the now cancelled Casablanca Metro and the operational Al Bidaoui suburban railways. Casablanca will have a network totalling 76 route km, costing 5.9 billion dirhams.
Lines T3 and T4
Long-term plans in the SDAU and PDU are for new lines T3 and T4 (. Line T3 will connect the Sidi Othmane district to the El Hank district via the city centre to Casa-Port railway station, and T4 will connect the Sbata and Lissasfa districts via the Aïn Chock and the Facultés district.
