Coordinates: 35°10′0″N 02°56′0″W / 35.166667°N 2.933333°W / 35.166667; -2.933333

Gare Nador Ville main entrance

The city of Nador in Morocco has two railway-stations: Nador Ville and Nador South. As with all railway stations in Morocco, this station is operated by the ONCF, Morocco's national railway operator.

Nador Ville railway station is the main station and serves the single railway line through the city. The station was opened on 10 July 2009 by King Mohammed VI, together with the towns other station Nador South and the line to Tawrirt.^[1] Within the city limits of Nador, the track runs underground. Between 2006 and the completion of the line in 2009, major construction works were carried out in the city causing disrupting the traffic of one of the major through-roads of this busy city.

[edit] Construction

Sign regarding building railway and tunnels for it through Nador

The construction of the 117 kilometer track to Taourirt cost 1.776 million dirham (approximately €180 million). This averages to 15 MDh per kilometer. The line is relatively expensive because it has to run from the 400m-above-sea-level in the Rif mountains to Nador, which is at sea-level.^[2] The construction of the underground track and station platforms also required more money then a ground-level track.^[3]

[edit] Connection to the core network

Sign showing daily departures from Nador Ville

The Nador line connects to the core rail network at Taourirt. At this point the line connects to the major East-West line that runs from Oujda via Fezand Meknes to the capital, Rabat, and the commercial capital, Casablanca. Every day, three trains depart for Taourirt where one can change for trains to the major cities throughout Morocco. The trains leave early in the morning, around noon and one in the evening connecting you to the night trains at Taourirt (which offers sleeping-cars and couchettes).

The journey to Taourirt takes a little under 2 hours and connects you also to places like Selouane, Hassi Berkane and Oulad Babou before terminating in Taourirt.^[4] Travel time to Casablanca (to Casa-Voyageurs) takes approximately 12 hours.^[5]

Travelers to Nador can arrive at approximately 08:15, 17:00 or 22:15.^[5]

[edit] References

1. ^ King Mohammed VI opens Nador railway, visited 4 August 2009
2. ^ Height-info obtained from Google Earth mapinfo
3. ^ Budget information from the official Government of Morocco portal Maroc.ma, retrieved on 5 August 2009
4. ^ Route info from Skyscraper city (using this image)
5. ^ ^{a b} Train and travel times according to [http://oncf.ma/En/Horraires.aspx?ep=7&elt=140 ONCF Timetable visited on 4 August 2009

[edit] External links

• ONCF Official website
• SkyScraper City forum