A train between Tangier-Ville and Ibn Battouta airport: what ONCF is launching, and how to get there in the meantime

It is a project Tangier has been talking about for a long time, and it has just reached a concrete milestone: ONCF has launched the tender for the civil engineering works on the future rail link between central Tangier and Ibn Battouta airport. Here is what the project includes, what is not yet known, and how to get to the airport today when you have suitcases. Short answer A line of about 22.5 km, electrified double track, with seven stops including the Grand Stade and the airport. Applications for the works open on 1 October 2026; no opening date has been announced. Until then, it's the taxi, and for an evening flight, you are better off leaving your bags in town and enjoying the day. What the project includes Route: about 22.5 km of electrified double track, from the city centre to the airport. Planned stops: an RER station in Tangier, the Mghora, Aouama and Les Deux Mers stops, a station at the Grand Stade Ibn Battouta, a university stop and an airport stop. Service: the line is also meant to serve the wholesale market, the bus station and the new airport terminal. Timeline: works split into three lots, applications open from 1 October 2026. What is not yet known: the opening date, train frequency, journey time and ticket price. Be wary of any article that already presents them as settled. Why this line matters Tangier has become a major gateway to Morocco, between the Al Boraq, the Tanger Ville port and an airport that keeps adding routes. Today, these three points are linked only by road. The stop at the Grand Stade, on the same axis as the airport, matters too: on match nights, the road to the airport is the same as the road to the stadium. Getting to the airport today Ibn Battouta airport is about fifteen kilometres from the centre. The simplest option is still the taxi. Three tips: Leave some margin at rush hour, and even more on a match night at the Grand Stade. Agree on the fare before getting in if the meter is not used. Don't leave too early because of your suitcase: that is the mistake that costs you your last half-day. Your last day, without a suitcase The classic scenario: check-out at noon, flight at 8 pm. Rather than spending the afternoon at the airport or in a café with your bags, drop them off in town: Near the Grand Socco: a partner shop on Rue Amérique du Sud, about 200 metres from the Grand Socco, open from 11 am to 11 pm every day. Ideal for a last stroll through the medina and the Kasbah. Al Izdihar roundabout: a point on the south side of the city, already on the way to the airport, open from 9 am to 9 pm Monday to Saturday (break from 2 pm to 3 pm on Fridays), closed on Sundays. Price: 9 MAD per hour per bag, capped at 59 MAD per day. You book online, the shopkeeper scans your QR code and takes a time-stamped photo of your bags. Your last afternoon in Tangier, travelling light Points near the Grand Socco and on the way to the airport. Exact address and price shown before payment. See the points in Tangier Arriving or leaving by sea? Read our guide to the Tanger Ville port.