The Sahara Explorer - Day 1 - 4th October 2023

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Morocco; blue dot = main station with regular trains; green dot = closed to passengers or served by 'irregular' trains. Oujda is top right, the Jerada branch is below and Bouárfa bottom right. (4 Jun 2012),<br>[© Tachfin CC BY-SA 3.0 2012]	The new station at Oujda with its clock tower. Before the station was built the tracks continued into what is now the square in front of the station (not a car park, despite the lines). On my 2013 trip we actually reversed back nearly to the buffer stops; top track, with the benefit of hindsight!<br>[© Paul Griffin/Brian Carter 2023]	At Guenfouda these two locals on their donkeys were obviously not going to let the presence of a train disrupt their normal route across the tracks.<br>[© Paul Griffin/Brian Carter 2023]	Drivers eye view of the Béni Oukil avoiding line diverging to the left. Actually a bit of a cheat, as the picture was taken the following day from the back of the train, which is why the points are set for Béni Oukil! This was the only bit of new track (all of 1,100m) that your reporter needed on the tour!<br>[© Paul Griffin/Brian Carter 2023]	The pleasant little station of Naïma was the first place on the main line to Fes where the loco could run round. About 50 metres to the left of the platform was the trackbed of the Fes to Oujda narrow gauge line, built for military purposes and long abandoned.<br>[© Paul Griffin/Brian Carter 2023]