Morocco's national operator ONCF has put five six-axle diesel locomotives from Chinese builder CRRC Ziyang into service, with the quintet entering traffic on September 8. The locos follow an initial batch of four CRRC Ziyang machines delivered in April, bringing the Chinese-supplied diesel fleet now referred to in ONCF operations to nine units.

The September 8 entry into service marks the completion of the latest delivery tranche, and the locomotives add traction capacity to ONCF's non-electrified and mixed-traffic operations as the operator ramps up investment ahead of a fixed deadline: the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will stage matches at venues in Morocco.

Secondhand Italian coaches arrive by sea

Alongside the new-build locomotives, ONCF has taken delivery of 22 Gran Confort inter-city coaches purchased secondhand from Italy's national operator Trenitalia. Local media reports indicate the vehicles were handed over at the port of Ravenna in June and shipped by sea to Morocco.

The Gran Confort cars, a long-standing Italian inter-city design, will bolster ONCF's conventional long-distance fleet at a lower unit cost than new-build stock. Industry discussions at InnoTrans 2026 indicate the coaches are now, in the words reported to Railway Gazette International, 'close to entering service' with ONCF.

That phrasing matters for fleet planners watching Morocco. Delivery and entry into service are two different milestones, and ONCF has not yet confirmed a commercial service date for the Italian coaches. Until ONCF publishes an introduction date, the 22 vehicles remain in commissioning rather than in revenue-earning operation.

Why the 2030 deadline drives the purchases

Both rolling stock acquisitions form part of a wider series of rail investments that ONCF and the Moroccan state intend to complete before the 2030 FIFA World Cup begins. The tournament gives Morocco's rail programme a hard completion date that few national networks face, and it is already shaping procurement decisions across the network.

The pattern visible in the CRRC Ziyang and Trenitalia deals — mixing new-build traction from a Chinese supplier with secondhand coaches from a European incumbent — suggests ONCF is pursuing parallel tracks to expand capacity. New locomotives add reliable traction on a defined delivery schedule, while the 22 Gran Confort coaches provide incremental inter-city seating years faster than a new-build coach order could.

Secondhand rolling stock carries its own risks, of course: 22 cars of Italian vintage will need adaptation, maintenance regimes and possibly refurbishment before they meet ONCF's service standards. The June arrival at Ravenna and the current 'close to entering service' status indicate that work is underway but not yet finished, roughly three months on from delivery at the Italian port.

What happens next

For operators and suppliers tracking the Moroccan market, the immediate checkpoints are concrete: confirmation of a service-entry date for the 22 Gran Confort coaches, and any further CRRC Ziyang locomotive orders beyond the nine diesel units delivered since April. Both will signal whether ONCF's dual-track procurement approach is delivering capacity on the timeline the World Cup imposes.

The wider context is already in motion. Morocco has ordered high-speed, inter-city and suburban trains, and construction of Casablanca's suburban rail programme is underway, with the Casablanca Sud interchange among the projects started as part of that programme. The CRRC locomotives and the ex-Trenitalia coaches are the newest additions to a fleet and network expansion that must be complete before the first World Cup match kicks off in 2030.