Traffic through the undersea tunnel between Morocco and Spain via the Strait of Gibraltar is anticipated to be available by rail within the next six years. Passenger and freight via car and truck will be handled by high-speed shuttles, reported several Spanish outlets.
In addition to these rail lines dedicated to transporting vehicles (cars and trucks), conventional passenger and freight trains will also be used. The tunnel will extend for approximately 38.7 km, 27.8 km of which will be submerged.
The distance between the terminals, which will measure 42 km, rules out the improbable idea emerging a few months ago of a rail connection linking the Casablanca megalopolis to Madrid.
The project dates back to 1989 and initially envisioned the construction of a bridge linking Europe and Africa, before the idea was abandoned in the mid-1990s and replaced with the option of a rail tunnel, similar to that of the Channel Tunnel–i.e., the “Chunnel”–linking France and Great Britain.
The original project involved the construction of a 38.7-km double rail tunnel with an intermediate service gallery, 27.7 km of which would pass beneath the seabed at a depth of around 100 meters.
According to the Sociedad Española de Estudios para las Comunicaciones Fijas por el Estrecho de Gibraltar (SECEGSA), the Spanish public entity in charge of the project, the latest studies completed regarding the future infrastructure not only certifies the project’s feasibility, but also projects that it could be delivered within five years.
Finalization by the 2030 World Cup would be a major achievement for the entire region. Clearly, this fixed link would prove to be a major asset that would contribute to the success of this global soccer event.
It would also be a hub for European and African transport networks, facilitating the movement of people and goods between the two continents. In this respect, a meeting of the Moroccan-Spanish joint committee will take place at the end of May, and is sure to provide further clarification on this mega-project.