Morocco Trains Carry 250,000+ Fans During AFCON Tournament

When Morocco hosted the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the country's railways didn't just show up. They scored big.

Morocco's National Railways Office (ONCF) transported more than 250,000 football fans between host cities during the tournament. On the busiest match days, the system carried 95,000 passengers on fast shuttle trains alone, with another 25,000 riding the sleek Al Boraq high-speed trains.

To handle the surge, ONCF rolled out an exceptional transport plan. The railway added 251 extra trains and provided more than 342,000 seats, essentially running nearly 1,000 additional services throughout the tournament.

The planning went beyond just adding more trains. ONCF scheduled 113 special stops at Rabat's new Hay Riad station near Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex, making it easy for fans to reach matches. In Marrakech, 74 trains stopped at Sidi Ibrahim station, which the railway prepared specifically for the tournament.

The effort paid off with an average occupancy rate of 84% across all services. Overall passenger traffic jumped 7% during the AFCON period compared to normal operations.

ONCF also introduced a digital travel card called "Yalla CAN" that became a hit with fans. The railway sold around 20,000 cards that were used for 85,000 journeys, with nearly half the users coming from other countries.

The Ripple Effect

This railway success story shows what happens when infrastructure meets opportunity. More than 800 staff members from commercial, technical, and security teams worked around the clock at nine key stations. ONCF set up a dedicated AFCON operations center to monitor services in real time and manage passenger flows smoothly.

The railway also transported seven African national teams, officials from the Confederation of African Football, and high-level guests using their premium services. Working closely with local authorities, ONCF kept fans moving safely and efficiently throughout one of Africa's biggest sporting events.

Morocco proved that world-class events need world-class logistics, and its railways delivered both.