Citadis passenger service to begin operating between Rabat and Salé

The fleet is made up of 19 double tramsets and 6 single bidirectional tramsets, which are scheduled to come into service in summer 2011. BY A. SAMUEL ·
MAY 24, 2011 · LIGHT RAIL, METROS 

On 18 May 2011, Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, inaugurated the new Citadis passenger service between Rabat and Salé, the first urban area in Morocco to operate a state-of-the-art tramway network.

In 2008, STRS ordered 44 Citadis tramsets from Alstom. The trams will run on a network of two lines that connect 31 stations and extend over a total of 20 km.

The fleet is made up of 19 double tramsets and 6 single bidirectional tramsets, which are scheduled to come into service in summer 2011.

Morocco’s first tramway is notable for its accessibility, its high capacity and the levels of comfort it provides. The double tramsets’ integral low floor – which is level with the platform – and 12 side doors ensure easy access, especially for people with reduced mobility.

Each double tramset is 64 m long and has 118 seated places. They can carry between 400 and 600 passengers during rush hour.

These tramways have been specially designed to meet the operational requirements as defined by STRS. They feature tried and tested equipment that is fitted as standard on all tramways and are the result of feedback about all the Citadis tramways currently in service.

A number of the elements that make them up can also be customised, such as the design of the driver’s cabin, the livery and the interior fittings. The air conditioning and large tinted glass windows, plus the seating and wide aisles, passenger information displays in French and Arabic, and quiet engine operation have all been designed to ensure pleasant travel conditions.

Like the Citadis tramways in service in Barcelona, Paris and Melbourne, Rabat’s trams have been designed so that STRS can provide its passengers with a high-quality transport service that is both safe and reliable.

This transport infrastructure project is part of the programme to develop the Bouregreg valley in response to a growing demand for public transport.

It will function as a structural feature for the Rabat-Salé urban area and is symbolic for the country as a whole: commencement of the tramway service will herald the reintroduction of this means of transport, a means which existed in the first part of the 20th century as a tool for developing and modernising the country’s main urban areas.