MOROCCAN RAIL TRANSPORT INVESTMENT - ACCUMULATION VERSUS LEGITIMATION

Much geographical writing on the subject of rail transport and develop ment has focused on railway expansion in the colonial era. Comparative ly little attention has been given to the role of rail transport in th e Third World in the post-colonial era. Following recent World Bank-fi nanced efforts to rehabilitate the railways of many developing countri es, this article attempts to provide some fresh analytical insights in to rail transport investment in countries whose economies are becoming ever more dependent on international economic institutions. Moroccan Railways (ONCF) are considered as a specific case study. With referenc e to the structural adjustment programmes of the World Bank and IMF, t his article seeks theoretical explanations for the substantial investm ent that occurred in Moroccan railways during the 1980s. The study sho ws that state investment in railways. while critical to Morocco's econ omic growth, has resulted in insufficient resources for social equity issues like health, housing and literacy.