In Casablanca, Al Boraq uses Casa Voyageurs rather than the city-centre Casa Port station. ONCF lists four Al Boraq stations: Casa Voyageurs, Rabat Agdal, Kenitra and Tanger Ville. Other cities, including Fes and Marrakech, are reached by changing to another train. That shapes both the ticket you buy and how you get to the platform.
Why is only part of the trip high-speed?
The dedicated high-speed line runs between Tangier and Kenitra. ONCF's 2025 Green Bond Framework says that section, inaugurated on 15 November 2018, cut the Tangier–Kenitra trip to about 47 minutes. South of Kenitra, Al Boraq continues to Rabat and Casablanca on the existing network. The same document gives the project's goal as cutting Casablanca–Tangier from 4 hours 45 minutes to 2 hours 10 minutes.
That is why the timetable you see matters more than any headline speed. Treat 2 hours 10 minutes as ONCF's design figure and read the actual running time for your train in the booking results. We could not read a current timetable outside the booking engine.
The next step is already being built. ONCF's framework describes a Kenitra–Marrakech high-speed line operated at 320 km/h, with commercial operation expected by the end of 2029. The document is inconsistent on length: its project description says about 200 km, while its project table gives 430 km. The line sits inside ONCF's Plan Rail Maroc 2040.
How does the Yalla Al Boraq fare work?
Yalla is ONCF's fixed low fare. Its Yalla page sets it at 89 DH in second class and 129 DH in first, all year, on every Al Boraq train, subject to the seats released each day. The conditions are strict:
- It applies only on Tanger Ville–Casa Voyageurs, Tanger Ville–Rabat Agdal and Tanger Ville–Kenitra.
- It must be bought at least 7 days before the travel date.
- It cannot be exchanged or refunded.
- It cannot be combined with ONCF discount cards or other promotions.
ONCF does not publish a table of its other Al Boraq fares on the pages we read. The price appears only when you search a date and train, and it can change as seats sell. So the useful comparison is not "Yalla versus the standard price" but "Yalla versus whatever the engine quotes for your date".
A worked example for two adults, Tangier to Casablanca, booked ten days ahead: 2 × 89 DH = 178 DH in second class, or 2 × 129 DH = 258 DH in first. First class costs 80 DH more for the pair and, per ONCF's station services page, gives access to the Al Boraq lounges at all four stations. If your plans might move, either ticket is lost money once you miss the train.
Booking, seats and e-tickets
ONCF's reservation page says sales open up to 3 months before departure and every ticket carries a seat. When booking you can ask for a window or aisle seat, a four-seat "Carré" table in second class, a "Club 4" or solo seat in first, or a family space of four facing seats set apart from the rest of the coach. Allocation depends on what is left.
After buying online you receive the e-ticket by e-mail, according to ONCF's buying guide. You can print it or simply show the 2D code on your phone to the conductor. The same page says flexible tickets can be exchanged or cancelled online, and that station counters and ticket machines take bank cards, cash or cheques. For how cards and cash work more generally, see our Moroccan dirham and cards guide.
At high-speed stations, a staff member at the entrance directs you to a "Départ immédiat" counter for same-day departures or a "Préparation de voyage" counter for later trips. ONCF asks passengers to check the date, time, stations, fare, class, coach and seat as soon as they buy, and to exchange immediately if anything is wrong. On the platform, markers show where each coach stops.
| Channel | Payment | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| oncf-voyages.ma or ONCF Voyages app | Bank card | Booking ahead, Yalla fares, e-ticket on phone |
| Station counter | Card, cash or cheque | Same-day trips, questions, group tickets |
| Station ticket machine | Per ONCF: card, cash or cheque | Quick purchase without queueing |
| Partner agencies (Chaabi Cash, Tasshilat, Barid Cash, Cash Plus) | Ask at the agency | Yalla fares bought in town |
Reaching Casa Voyageurs from the airport
Mohammed V Airport has its own station. ONCF's airport train page describes a 5-minute covered walk from the terminal, one train an hour to Casa Voyageurs between 05:30 and 23:00, and fares from 60 DH, with onward connections there. That makes Casa Voyageurs the natural transfer point if you land and head straight for Rabat or Tangier.
Before you pay
Book Yalla only if your date and train are fixed at least a week out and a missed train would not leave you stuck. If you are arriving on an international flight the same day, a later departure or a flexible fare is the safer choice. Before paying, compare the flexible fare the engine shows for your train with 89 DH or 129 DH: the gap is the price of being able to exchange or cancel online.