Morocco inaugurates Africa’s fastest train

Morocco inaugurated Africa’s fastest train today – which will halve travelling time between the commercial and industrial hubs of Casablanca and Tangier.

King Mohammed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron boarded the train for the inaugural trip from Tangier to the capital Rabat.

Reuters Copyright: Reuters

Reuters Copyright: Reuters

Here are the top stats for the train spotters among you:

• The train is planned to run at 320km (198 miles) per hour
• It will more than halve the 200km (124 miles) Casablanca-Tangier journey to around two hours
• It is about twice as fast as South Africa’s high-speed Gautrain linking Johannesburg’s international airport to the city’s financial district Sandton
• It cost 22.9 billion dirhams ($2.4bn; £1.8bn), according to state news agency MAP
• The line took seven years to build

BBC Africa Live