Morocco’s railway expansion is prompting the ONCF to rethink how security will be managed across its growing network. The National Railway Office has launched a 1.08 million dirham tender to design a nationwide framework combining video surveillance, artificial intelligence and centralized monitoring by 2030.
The contract is focused on consulting and project-management assistance rather than the immediate purchase of surveillance equipment. The selected provider will be tasked with defining the overall architecture of the future system, assessing the ONCF’s operational requirements and recommending the technologies and technical standards that should guide subsequent investments.
The study is expected to cover the infrastructure required for cameras and other security equipment, data storage and processing, telecommunications networks and centralized control centers. Once the architecture has been established, separate procurement contracts could be launched for the actual deployment. The ONCF has not yet disclosed the total budget that could eventually be allocated to the nationwide system.
The project comes as Morocco undertakes one of its largest railway investment programs ahead of 2030. The ONCF has announced a total investment envelope of 96 billion dirhams, including 53 billion dirhams for infrastructure and equipment linked to the 430-kilometer high-speed line between Kenitra and Marrakech.
Another 29 billion dirhams are earmarked for rolling stock, while 14 billion will go toward upgrading the existing network. For 2026 alone, the railway operator expects to invest close to 23 billion dirhams.
The scale of the expansion is also changing the security challenge. New stations, additional tracks and maintenance facilities will create a much larger network of sites requiring continuous monitoring. Around 600 kilometers of electrified railway are planned, alongside new stations and nine maintenance centers and technicenters.
The Casablanca region illustrates the transformation underway. Works between Mohammedia and Nouaceur are expected to expand the infrastructure to six tracks, including dedicated capacity for high-speed and local services.
Artificial intelligence is already part of the ONCF’s broader thinking around railway security. In December 2025, the organization hosted the 20th World Congress on Railway Security in Rabat alongside the International Union of Railways. More than 250 representatives from 30 countries attended discussions covering digitalization, AI and integrated surveillance systems.
The new 2030 framework is intended to move those discussions toward a coordinated national architecture. Beyond simply increasing the number of cameras, the approach is expected to determine how surveillance technologies, data systems and supervision centers communicate with one another across the railway network.
The timing also reflects the arrival of a significantly expanded fleet. The ONCF’s 29 billion dirham rolling-stock program covers 168 trains, including 18 high-speed trains from Alstom, 40 intercity trains from CAF and 110 regional trains from Hyundai Rotem. The contracts also include industrial and maintenance components in Morocco.
For now, the tender represents the planning stage rather than the deployment of the system itself. The final equipment budget, implementation schedule and number of procurement contracts that could follow the study will depend on the architecture ultimately approved by the ONCF.
