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Doha – Spain has contracted Herrenknecht Iberica to conduct a feasibility study for an ambitious undersea railway tunnel connecting Spain and Morocco, signaling a further step forward in the decades-old project to link Europe and Africa.
“The Strait of Gibraltar is a bottleneck for traffic between North Africa and Europe – a tunnel would significantly increase the efficiency of freight and passenger transport,” a Herrenknecht spokeswoman told AGBI.
“At the same time, this construction project poses extreme challenges in terms of technology and logistics.”
The proposed tunnel would stretch 38.5 kilometers, with 28 kilometers running beneath the Strait of Gibraltar at depths between 175 and 475 meters below sea level.
The project is managed by Spanish state-owned company Secegsa, and is designed to connect Spain’s Cadiz province to the Moroccan port city of Tangiers.
According to Secegsa’s plans, the infrastructure will mirror the Channel Tunnel’s design, featuring two parallel single-track tunnels for high-speed passenger and freight trains traveling in opposite directions, with provisions for vehicles to board the trains.
Recent developments indicate renewed momentum for the project. In November 2024, the Spanish government invested €486,420 to lease four submarine seismometers for studying the strait’s seafloor.
Experts from the Royal Institute and Naval Observatory in San Fernando, Spain, will oversee the six-month seismotectonic campaign.
The project has attracted additional political support following improved Spain-Morocco relations since 2022.
With the 2030 FIFA World Cup – which will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco – on the horizon, the tunnel project has gained interest, set to be a symbol of intercontinental cooperation.
During a high-level meeting in Rabat in February 2023, Spanish officials designated the tunnel as a “strategic project” for both nations.
Technical challenges remain significant. The strait reaches depths of 900 meters and experiences strong currents that complicate construction.
The current proposal follows the “Umbral de Camarinal” route, chosen for its more manageable conditions.
The design includes three tunnels: two for trains and one for maintenance and safety services, with cross-passages every 340 meters and safety zones every 100 meters.
When completed, the tunnel will enable direct rail connections between major European and North African cities, with crossing times of just under 30 minutes for passengers and freight.
The finished project would be one of the world’s longest undersea tunnels, surpassing the Channel Tunnel’s underwater section of 38 kilometers.
Read also: Not Just a Tunnel: Spain, Morocco Already Connected Through Electrical Link Since 2006
