Casablanca
Light rail pre T
Casablanca’s inaugural light rail line, which began operations on December 12 2012, is already transforming public transport in Morocco’s largest city, as Kevin Smith discovers.
HOUSANDS of Casablancans lined the streets of their city on December 12 2012 to celebrate the opening of a new light rail line and to catch a glimpse of King Mohammed VI who officially inaugurated the service.
The 74 striking burnt orange LRVs, which are now operating on the 30.7km Y-shaped line, will serve an estimated 250,000 passengers every day by 2015, providing much-needed congestion relief to the hustle and bustle of Casablanca’s streets. Casa Transport is the publicly-owned operator set up in March 2009 to oversee the project after funding was secured in October 2008. In May 2009 it selected Alstom in a contract worth É120m to supply 74 five-section low- floor Citadis LRVs with an option worth up to É70m for the supply of additional vehicles. The LRVs are formed into 65m-long double units with each vehicle capable of carrying up to 606 passengers, including 102 seated. Alstom says that Casablanca along with the Moroccan capital Rabat, where it has supplied 44 similar Citadis LRVs, are now operating some of the longest trams in the world. Alstom says the custom design of the vehicles is the result of extensive collaboration with Casa Transport and the City of Casablanca. The rounded exterior is said to emphasis a modern design in a city undergoing rapid economic development, while inside the LRVs have adopted a traditional Moroccan theme. This includes incorporating the native Zellige mosaic art, traditional ornaments and the five pointed star onto ceilings and into seat patterns. Air-conditioning and
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