Plans advance for underwater rail tunnel to connect Europe to North Africa

A plan to link Spain and Morocco with an underground rail tunnel is under serious consideration, according to multiple reports in British media. The 27.6 km tunnel would connect Europe’s high speed rail network to Morocco’s high speed Al Boraq route that opened in 2018. The project would cost an estimated 6 billion Euros and could open in time for Morocco, Portugal and Spain to host the FIFA World Cup in 2030.

Plans for the underground rail link were first floated decades and have recently been revived. Last June the Spanish government announced a 2.3 million Euros feasibility study, emphasizing the projects strategic importance of Europe-Africa relations. 

According to rail news site Railtech.com, the tunnel’s route would run from Punta Paloma in Tarifa to Punta Malabata in the Bay of Tangiers. The Spanish Society for Fixed Communication Studies across the Strait of Gibraltar says the link could see intercontinental traffic over 12.8 million passengers per year and boost cargo volumes by 13 million tons.