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Rabat – A railway project connecting Madrid and Casablanca has seemingly attracted media attention and is reportedly aligned with the recently relaunched Gibraltar Strait tunnel project between Morocco and Spain.
Moroccan state media outlet SNRTNews reported earlier this week that studies have shown the potential of establishing a railway that will connect Madrid and Casablanca in just five and a half hours.
“The high-speed rail line existing in both Morocco and Spain is expected to significantly reduce travel time compared to regular trains as supported by studies on this matter, ” the news outlet said.
The report also cited data from the National Company for the Studies of the Strait of Gibraltar, suggesting that the project can provide a rail link between the two cities.
In February, Spanish news outlet La Razon announced that Spain and Morocco relaunched the Gibraltar Strait Tunnel project.
The report also cited Spain’s Minister of Transport Raquel Sanchez, who said that the two countries will give momentum to the studies of the project which have been planned since 1979.
Sanchez described the project as strategic not only for Spain and Morocco but also for Europe and Africa.
Plans to push the project to an advanced level were halted due to the diplomatic crisis between the two countries, but improved diplomatic ties after Spain’s decision to endorse Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara revived their determination to continue to boost their relations at all levels.
The news on the potential Madrid-Casablanca railway came to the surface as the two countries celebrated the FIFA decision to announce Spain, Morocco, and Portugal as the hosts for the 2030 World Cup.
The three countries will jointly organize the global tournament, which is set to attract millions of fans from across the world.
According to SNRTNews, studies on the undersea tunnel project are progressing in accordance with the agreed upon plan.
Citing exclusive data from the company for the studies of the Strait of Gibraltar, the news outlet said that the “appropriate technology” for tunnel construction will be identified based on research.
Spain and Morocco renewed their commitment onwards, stepping up efforts to relaunch the tunnel in April.
The Spanish transport minister renewed her country’s commitment during a meeting with Morocco’s Minister of Equipment Nizar Baraka.
“We are beginning a new stage in the revival of the fixed link project across the Strait of Gibraltar, which we launched in 1981, hand in hand,” she said.
The plan to establish the project dates back to the Spanish-Moroccan Common Declaration of June 16, 1979 in Fez, where King Hassan II of Morocco and King Juan Carlos I of Spain agreed to work toward the development of the project in line with their commitment to boosting bilateral ties between Europe and Africa.
