What Africa's 190+ MPH Railway Can Teach the World

[@adam_nathan]

In fairness the Shinkansen absolutely was talked about in the sense of “how did Japan get to this technology before us???”, its opening caused an explosion in funding for intercity rail in the US in the 1960s under LBJ. Also, while the reaction is misinformed and can certainly come from a place of ignorance and/or bigotry, I think “why does this country have HSR and we don’t?” is legitimate if you’re asking “why does a country with a fraction of our wealth have this fantastic technology? perhaps the way we are managing our own domestic wealth is suboptimal” Like the US is the country that calls themselves “the greatest” all the time, many Americans assume that the US has the best of everything and are surprised when they learn that they don’t actually have all of the best things.

[@ClassyWhale]

Fair counterpoint!

[@noahottin4015]

"Humans are humans." I appreciate that you highlight goodness, like in your video about San Diego's border trolley. In such a divided world, it feels nice.

[@artdirector9517]

Yes, for example, USA doesn't have high-speed train but Morocco does

[@EdwardM-t8p]

Blame it on American exceptionalism. Most other nations are sensible. The United States is... except for its military... shall I put it delicately... backwards.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

12:20 *bonk* "DAHAHAHAHA, THAT GUY GOT HIT IN THE HEAD WITH A COCONUT!" Interesting fact is the first railway in Morocco wasn't built by the French! It was a narrow-gauge railway presented to the Sultan of Morocco in 1887 by the Belgian Government to connect his palace with his Jardin l'Agdal de Meknes. The Belgian government were hoping for orders for further railway developments in the country, but these did not transpire. I had the opportunity to represent Morocco in a UNEP committee during a Model UN conference back in high school and yeah, Morocco has been a leader in green technology! In Casablanca, they got a four-line tramway network, first opening in 2012, with two tram lines opening in 2024, and a busway with two lines also opening in 2024. In 2011, another tramway network opened, in agglomeration of Rabat and Salé cities, with two lines. In Marrakesh, they built a BRT (that's partly trolleybus) system in 2017. The electricity powering the vehicles comes from solar power, as Morocco has become a solar power giant! Morocco has taken many green technological initiatives, like in 2014 when it opened the Tarfaya Wind Farm with 131 turbines. In 2016, it opened the Ouarzazate solar station, the world's largest concentrated solar power plant, saving 760K tonnes of carbon emissions every year! With wind farms and solar farms across the country, this has contributed several billion dollars to the economy and added thousands of permanent jobs! And it's all adding up, as the country is consistently ranked high in the Climate Change Performance Index, with Morocco ranked NINTH in the 2024 edition. And for all the users of argan oil, you can thank Morocco for that too! Specifically tree-climbing goats! Goats climb up argan trees, ignores the thorns, eats the argan fruit, and then the argan nuts are excreted, and crack them open for kernels to produce argan oil!

[@GirtonOramsay]

Homie, you never fail to comment your encyclopedia entries on new videos, even if it's like 2 am on the east coast! Props to your consistency and interesting info. I wish we had half of the railway network of Morocco across the US, like a simple train to Vegas or actual Phoenix

[@ClassyWhale]

I bought a bunch of argan oil for my wife, can't wait to tell her that fact LOL

[@yahyataouigmailcom]

Absolutely correct on the green initiative front with Morocco. The goal is to eventually even be able to export green energy to Europe and neighboring African countries within the next several decades. They're even exploring building an experimental nuclear reactor using Russian and US technology! The plan was for a reactor to be built by 2030, but I'm not sure what the current projected timeline is. Public transport expansion is on the docket for many more cities, especially with BRT becoming such an attractive mode of transit for the more moderately sized cities in Morocco. Morocco for sure is looking to be a big player on the continent both in terms of climate resilient technology along with political influence, especially with the Cup of African Nations tournament in 2025 and the FIFA World Cup in 2030. Very exciting things coming up there!

[@terryaltherr2481]

No way! I was Morocco for my freshman and sophomore years in my hs MUN club

[@artdirector9517]

​@@ClassyWhalehaha 👍

[@팀보]

I took the Al Boraq in 2019 from Tangier to Rabat. I used the kiosk, and my card worked! .......... Then I got on the train and learned that my seat(place) didn't exist...! The agent kept telling me which direction I should look, and I kept telling her that it skips my number (there was a luggage stand it its place). She first joked that I should just sit on those shelves, and then called whoever and found an empty seat for me. The other passengers were very friendly and tried to help me as well, to no avail of course XD

[@bucketcreature]

i'm enjoying these new videos with old footage! i remember some of the original, more vlog style videos, which were fun but could be a bit confusing sometimes. the new narration is excellent and very informative! keep up the good work

[@azuma892]

RMTransit got the weirdest shoutout in KZbin history. 😂

[@stickynorth]

"To be fair"... I would too!

[@Trainsaregreat365]

I saw you on sam's trains

[@awatekygyal]

That was a random kickdown😂

[@Trainsaregreat365]

@awatekygyal yeah

[@teecefamilykent]

He's awesome!

[@ChiPpification]

France also chopped the whole Moroccan Eastern sahara and never gave it back when they left. Land that still needs to be returned to it's rightful owner !

[@Mcfluffy99]

10:52 imagine a family member is in front of you on the other end but to shake his hands or hug him you'll have to go to France in order to enter Algeria or Morocco.

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

Although the City of Casablanca has slightly more people than the City of Toronto, the Greater Toronto Area is far larger than greater Casablanca (6.7M vs 4.2M)

[@Maximius38]

not really, if you count the Casablanca peripherals as part of the city as Toronto do, Casablanca is by far larger than Toronto

[@DanTheCaptain]

As someone who’s travelled a lot by train in Europe I’m a bit of a compartment apologist. When full they can be a bit uncomfortable but when preassigned seating is respected they can be quite cozy. And they can foster some amazing cultural experiences such as your trip to Oujda.

[@SunsetNova]

Morocco has the most advanced public transport system in Africa.

[@stickynorth]

Great video! I hope with the 2030 World Cup coming up and Morocco co-hosting with Spain and Portugal that it will spur more rail and infrastructure investment in the whole region including more solar farms and BEV factories especially since Morocco has a free-trade agreement with both the EU and the USA I believe which makes it a very strategic and affordable manufacturing location for many, many things!

[@samirgillespie9135]

This was a great video and very refreshing and impressed on how you discussed the colonial past without glorifying colonialism as many tend to! The ONCF network always gets passed over by the rail community yet I believe Morocco is an inspiration even to places like the UK. The public transport in Morocco is developing rapidly, particularly in Casablanca and it’s nice to see it finally be acknowledged and appreciated! Thank you!

[@mohammed_the_train_spotter]

6:38 That's the DH-400 (NGT26-CW3), other than that amazing video!

[@ClassyWhale]

Thanks :) Glad you enjoyed!

[@Jarecian]

As a European: I *much* prefer compartment seating over airline style seating. The type of car originated in Europe (it was a standard car in the 70s and 80s in many countries here), *but* it normally has only six (very comfortable, even in second class) seats, and lots of leg room. No crampiness at all, and, most of the time, much quieter. It is (was) like traveling on a living room couch, and most compartments weren't full, so extra space was available. Morocco likely modified it because they needed to transport more people in less cars.

[@ClassyWhale]

@@Jarecian yeah, I will say I loved the 3 facing 3 compartment I rode later in the video, but that's only first class

[@ristekostadinov2820]

Same, when i'm with friends i feel like i'm on actual road trip while using the train. So many good memories 😁😁

[@artdirector9517]

4:26 yep 👍

[@damaridan8613]

Thanks for the documentary. ❤

[@yudeok413]

14:15 I'm kind of glad you came around to this because the earlier segment on colonial rail taken in isolation implies that ONCF is just France's legacy from before independence. Oujda's single track unelectrified line is a bit of a disgrace. From a decision making point I can understand not investing in its upgrade. Population density and economic activity in the east simply doesn't justify it before Agadir and Fes HSR, especially since the line would have to be entirely redesigned, so why not wait ten years and do a proper HSR? On the good news front, the al atlas service is due for brand new trains in a year or two. The train sets are being purchased. There will finally be a regional train network around Rabat Casa and Marrakesh, true HSR is under construction between Kenitra and Marrakech, and extention to Agadir is pretty much certain now. Some branching lines are being extended as well as port and airport connections. Overall I'm pretty bullish on the evolution trains in Morocco in the next decade, it will be great, although I still wish for a Rabat Oujda HSR and a new track along the Mediterranean coast, by 2040 hopefully 😮‍💨

[@GirtonOramsay]

When African countries are building better rail networks than the US/Canada/Australia/New Zealand.........you can get a sleeper train from the remote looking eastern Morocco to a smaller western city. We don't even have the concept of a sleeper train in the US unless your long distance Amtrak route works out that way

[@GirtonOramsay]

Bruh I just commented this before your 15:50 segment, I mean as the richest country in the existence of humanity, yes I think it's fair to be annoyed or straight up mad that we don't have a functional cross country rail system that closely matches the EU.

[@matthewwelsh294]

If I was the president of the USA, I would force this country to get high speed!!! I am freaking tired how other countries are winning while we are failing apart. Where is the national pride???

[@aycc-nbh7289]

@@matthewwelsh294But the issue is that the revenue obtained from such a high-speed rail network may not be enough to justify its existence. National pride may have its price.

[@qjtvaddict]

U.S.,Canada , Australia and NZ ARE nothing more than vassal states for capital and multi national corporations they just have propaganda to convince themselves that they are in charge they aren’t they are occupied just like many African countries and will be abandoned when no longer useful

[@qjtvaddict]

@@matthewwelsh294the president has no true power in the USA only emergency powers can change that. But states have too much power

[@MariaNI-yf1bz]

Thank you for your video; your work is appreciated! ❤️ However, I noticed some or a few details what I would like to clarify. The first railway in Morocco was not built by the French. In fact, the first narrow-gauge railway in Morocco was a 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) line presented to the Sultan in 1887 by the Belgian government to connect his palace with the Jardin l'Agdal in Meknes. While Morocco is indeed in (North) Africa, it is also part of the Mediterranean and Arab world. Historically, culturally, and even genetically, Morocco is closer to Iberia than to "Africa" or the "Middle East." Moreover, Morocco has its own distinct identity, heritage, and contributions. Therefore, it would be more accurate and respectful to refer specifically to Morocco rather than using the blanket term "African." Note; I would stand by this clarification for any region; Morocco is Morocco, just as India is India, China is China, Spain is Spain, and the US is the US> none of them represents an entire continent.

[@ClassyWhale]

Thank you for your comment! (Disagreeing politely on the internet, you don't get that a lot!) I understand where you're coming from and in retrospect perhaps my wording was a little unclear. My referring to ONCF in the broader context of African railroading has a lot to do with the continent's shared past of occupation and oppression at the hands of European powers - most railways in Africa, north and south, share that history. So the question becomes - how did Morocco in particular go from that to a reliable modern railway, and can other countries and railways with a similar history in the region catch up? But you're right, I could have been more careful with the wording! Morocco is Morocco and they run Moroccan trains (which are very good!)

[@terryaltherr2481]

12:37 it's so funny how I've discovered a lot of transit tube can't stand him lol

[@ClassyWhale]

I don't mind him or his videos. It was just a weird dream!

[@terryaltherr2481]

@@ClassyWhale wait, you actually had that dream?

[@ClassyWhale]

Yeah!

[@terryaltherr2481]

@@ClassyWhale dag yo. I thought you were making a joke lol.

[@BrianWeber-gt4ho]

I was watching in the the live this afternoon and poof in fez on the diesel. You pulled the vid to private. Did you have to do more deleting??

[@ClassyWhale]

@@BrianWeber-gt4ho there was a high pitched whine in the audio starting around Al Boraq. Had to go back and remove that

[@BrianWeber-gt4ho]

@ClassyWhale hmmm ok

[@samimellouki3139]

🇲🇦❤🇲🇦❤🇲🇦❤🇲🇦❤🇲🇦❤🇲🇦❤🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁

[@n.bastians8633]

You'll probably find it funny, but on this side of the pond corridor coaches are a huge source of nostalgia. The general railfan opinion here is that corridor coaches are the more comfortable, quieter, more luxurious way to travel that is being pushed aside by American-style open-plan coaches (what you called "normal seating") that herd people in like cattle for the sake of profit. They see it as a classic sign of the old-style quality being replaced by mass-produced mediocrity. By the way, outside of France, compartments always seat 6 people, except for some first-class compartments that seat 4. To be clea, that is the railfan perspective and not really the common traveller's one. Personally, I'm fine with either arrangement, and I don't think it's a bad thing at all that open-plan coaches are higher capacity and easier to clean. Corridor coaches do offer some unique amenities - you can freely control the light level and room temperature in your compartment, and it is obviously much quieter. And they promote a different kind of interaction with other travellers, where you're more likely to actually interact with people because there's a smaller group that is turned towards each other. In any case, the general reaction of American trip reviewers to corridor coaches ranges between intrigue and disgust, so it really seems to be a question of personal preference and habit rather than the objective one some railfans here think it is.

[@ClassyWhale]

@@n.bastians8633 thank you for your perspective! I did end up enjoying it eventually, especially in first class where it was a little tamer. I can definitely see how it could be nostalgic for people who grew up with it.... There's definitely things about the Amtrak system that your people might find weird that we enjoy too!

[@maxbarr3954]

Actually,the compartiment coach where and are still very appreciated in france,particularly when traveling in family

[@teecefamilykent]

Brilliant video!

[@tomo-tawa-linja]

don't you just hate it when the atlantic ocean happens

[@JPBX904]

how hard was the landing in Marrakesh :D

[@DestinyMoudabe]

Wen are you visiting Nigeria 🇳🇬

[@ClassyWhale]

Hope to someday! Really want to ride the Lagos metro

[@DestinyMoudabe]

Don't forget the one in ABUJA

[@DestinyMoudabe]

And maybe bi the time you in LAGOS the Expanse of the Blue Lane or Lane 1 or whatever you want the name will be finished

[@Touchybanana]

Isn't this a reupload?

[@BsBsBock]

4 years for the upload lol

[@brianhubert8418]

Great video. Thanks for this well-balanced and very informative review of Morocco's railways both high speed and coventional speed. I wish the U.S. would be more willing to have way less pride and American Exceptionalism and be willing to learn from the experiences both good and bad from other countries, maybe even ones not always on our radar, as we look to improve our passenger rail system to offer alternatives to car dependency that are safer and more equitable and create places that are more sustainable both from an environmental and economic standpoint.

[@randomtransitadventures]

woah i got an DB ad

[@stickynorth]

I see Americans are still doing the Canadian trick in difficult regions... I see ya, I feel ya! Even if I wasn't Canadian, I'd do the same thing. Just remember to sound neutral with the accent and sprinkle in the odd eh, eh? ;-)

[@dennisud]

Simple Railway watch this!

[@matthewwelsh294]

3:01, kinda like Hogwarts Express from Harry Potter

[@thespanishinquisiton8306]

I think asking "why does country xyz have something and we don't" is still good. Obviously, the US does not deserve high speed rail more than Morocco does, but the US is a lot wealthier than Morocco. It's kind of asking "if less wealthy countries can have great things, why can't wealthier countries also have them?" Given that cost is a constant objection to rail projects in general and high speed rail projects in particular, I think pointing out that countries like Morocco, Turkey, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan all have high speed rail can help to dispel the cost myth and show that it's the dysfunctional political system in North America that prevents progress. SNCF has even specifically pointed this out. They built Al Boraq after pulling out of CAHSR, and they have said that California's bureaucracy and politics are more dysfunctional than Morocco's

[@editposte2655]

do NOT say AFRICAN, say MOROCCAN. WE did it not AFRICA

[@ClassyWhale]

@@editposte2655 remind me what continent you're in again?

[@MariaNI-yf1bz]

​​​@@ClassyWhaleMorocco is also part of the Mediterranean and Arab world. Lets just say that the achievements of Moroccans do not represent the entire African continent or the whole Arab world. Africa is not a single country or an ethnostate; our cultures and traditions are unique. If India builds a railway or Greece creates remarkable architecture, would you attribute that to the entire Asian or European continent?

[@ClassyWhale]

​@@MariaNI-yf1bz I understand where you're coming from and I perhaps could have been clearer with my wording, but is there anywhere in this video where I give credit to the whole continent for what Morocco did? The title refers to the fact that the railway is...in Africa. Like saying "Africa's First High Speed Railway," and like I said when I view ONCF in a lens of "African Railroading" during the video, it's due in part to that shared colonial past of occupation and oppression at the hands of European powers, and how the entire continent is still figuring out how to move on from that dark chapter, including regarding infrastructure, much of which is either leftover from colonization or rebuilt from that era. Iberian rail does not share that history.

[@sweetbachiri8572]

@@ClassyWhale Don't listen to him. He has an identity problem. Moroccans are Africans and have nothing to do with the Middle East.

[@Sam-u2o5s]

​@@ClassyWhale We Moroccans do not view ourselves as Africans. It's weird. But we've been separated long enough from Africans because of the large desert at the equator. We view ourselves as part of Maghreb continent if that's allowed to be a thing. That's why they talk about Maghreb people and include Algerians and Tunisians and some others with them.

[@SamSung-sy6ox]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@alexisdespland4939]

casablanca is the industrail capital of morroccoans rabatis the seat of the c goverment.

[@Trainsaregreat365]

Nice job

[@mohamoha-bk1wh]

Son nom Al Boraq البراق et non Albert

[@mr_funny3684]

change title to moroccan or north african

[@ClassyWhale]

@@mr_funny3684 why

[@mr_funny3684]

@ cz its a moroccans achievements

[@Sam-u2o5s]

​@@ClassyWhale, i knew this would appear again. They do not see themselves as part of Africa. They consider themselves part of Maghreb region as envisioned in the Ottoman empire days. That's why he's telling you to change it to North African. That's his attempt at communicating the same thing to you.

[@thefareplayer2254]

Sitting on single track siding waiting for a passing train. Caleb: “This happens all the time in America.” Fellow Passenger: *”Yes, yes, I know.”* LOL I didn’t know the US’s poor passenger rail reputation reached this far. 🤣

[@trainsdestinations3960]

If anything, this shows how far behind the US is on high speed rail due to lack of investment for years.

[@matthewwelsh294]

Ikr the USA is super stupid. It is a failed state!!

[@azuma892]

Not trying to be rude, where's the rest of the UK videos?

[@qjtvaddict]

The legendary African train that embarrasses California HSR to prove a point

[@Trainsaregreat365]

Yeah

[@ClassyWhale]

How does it embarrass CHSR?

[@dixit4neeraj]

​@@ClassyWhale By being operational?

[@westside213]

It's a third world country where it's easy to build, but point taken: California is the most incompetent state entity on the face of the planet.

[@drdewott9154]

@@ClassyWhale If I recall correctly, California HSR actually had French engineers and consultants working on it originally in the late 2000's and early 2010's, but whom left the project due to the political instability and local dysfunctional regulations that hindered any meaningful progress and financial stability. And those people left and worked on Moroccos high speed railway instead. Correct me if I'm wrong though. But it has essentially become a meme that Morocco has been more politically functional than California.

[@NickBurman]

Morocco benefited from the fact that its rail system is relatively "new" - it was only built in the 1920's. And parts of it were built already electrified, another bonus. This sprung from politics, prior to WW1 the French couldn't have a permanent settlement because of geopolitical wrangling with Germany, who also had designs over Morocco. However there was need for transportation better than camels, so the French built a huge 0,60m semi-permanent (which in time became permanent, complete with a Garratt and a Kitson-Meyer) Decauville network to supply the military and also handle civilian traffic. With the end of WW1 Germany was out of the picture so France consolidated its "protectorate" status over Morocco and realized that a 0,60m gauge railway was inadequate, so they began replacing it by a standard gauge rail system. Even so the 0,60m gauge equipment was "recycled" several times over, as CFM (the "O" came only after independence) used it to build "development" lines ahead of the standard gauge tracks.

[@ilyasbouriaz1767]

Welcome to morocco. Actually we lost two line from the colonial era: line to Midelet and the line to Bouarfa the last one still do some rare touristic trips. Those lines were for resources extraction that are now no more. But the lines could be useful today to get to cities in the east like my home town Errachidia. The main probleme that train in Morocco face is the lack of expention and the fact that the trains are concentraited in the westren lowlands even though in the lowland also some cities are not connected like Saouira, Araych... If u want to visit the real sahara welcome to my region Draa-tafilalt. You can visit Marzouga a popular destination.

[@ClassyWhale]

I thought about going to the Sahara on my trip, but I didn't have enough time! (One of my biggest regrets on this trip was making it much too short, and I should have stayed and done more!)

[@ilyasbouriaz1767]

@ClassyWhale maybe next time. If u came in the summer you could try a sand bath. it is amazing experience

[@ClassyWhale]

@ilyasbouriaz1767 did not know that was a thing! Now I need to try it

[@vassiliosazopoulos8618]

There are NO miles in Africa! Maybe they have miles in Alabama or West Virginia but certainly not Africa!

[@matthewwelsh294]

I feel triggered that even freaking Africa has faster trains than the so-called richest country in the world aka United States. I dislike my own country soo much!!

[@ClassyWhale]

Did you watch the whole video?

[@matthewwelsh294]

@@ClassyWhale Yep I do

[@thierrydesu]

On parle du "chemin de fer africain" basé sur des technologies occidentales, fabriqué par des occidentaux et payé par des occidentaux ? On parle bien de ce chemin de fer-là ?

[@ClassyWhale]

et les marocains restaient assis et mangeaient des bonbons sans rien faire?

[@thierrydesu]

@@ClassyWhale C'est probablement la chose la moins dommageable qu'ils pouvaient faire.

[@ClassyWhale]

🤦

[@thierrydesu]

@@ClassyWhale Je reconnais cependant bien volontiers que le Maroc est à peu près le seul pays africain à avoir un vrai projet de développement. Aujourd'hui tous les autres pays d'Afrique se rendent compte qu'ils peuvent sortir de la colonisation mais je doute qu'ils soient capables de faire quoi que ce soit de leur indépendance.

[@SirKenchalot]

Still shpaed by colonialism? Yeah they wouldn't have ANY railways if it wasn't for the British and the Frnech building them, you're welcome Africa.

[@souhaibsebbane5623]

Your comment does overlook the exploitative nature of colonialism. While the Brits and French built railway systems, they did so to extract Africa’s resources for their own benefit, not to develop the continent. In fact, much of the wealth that built those European empires came directly from the resources and labor stolen from Africa. Let’s not confuse exploitation with generosity.

[@forrestrobin2712]

Corail coaches, TGV Duplex, Alstom locomotives, SNCF signalling... it could be the SNCF if it wasn't for the US locomotive, the desert and the palm trees 😂

[@ClassyWhale]

I don't think OP actually watched the video because I address what they said 😂

[@SirKenchalot]

@@ClassyWhale OP? Why can't you just make a video about transit instead of signaling to all your soy drinking buddies that you have the correct opinions aobut EVERYTHING? I suppose you think Africa had broadband inernet, democracy, clean drinking water gushing off of every faucet and a modern railway before those meanie Europeans showed up and stole it all, took it back to Britain and that's how they 'invented' the modern railway?

[@ClassyWhale]

Also, this argument has been used in defense of colonialism, but in fairness, almost everywhere in Africa was colonized, so we don't know what would have happened if African countries had stayed independent and modernized, possibly through trade and relations with Europe rather than colonization. Ethiopia is the one exception, but even then they have a colonial railway because of Djibouti.

[@Patrick-on2ty]

😄Headline🫣