As the 2030 World Cup approaches, host countries, including Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, are intensifying efforts to enhance their infrastructures for this global sporting event.
In this context, the project of a railway tunnel connecting Morocco to the Costa del Sol in Spain is gaining momentum, promising seamless connectivity and well-thought-out logistics.
According to the British Daily Express, Spain recently allocated a fund of two million euros for the design study of the railway tunnel that will link the country to Morocco under the Strait of Gibraltar. This project has been revived following the completion of the high-speed railway link between Casablanca and Tangier via Rabat.
Raquel Sánchez, Spanish Minister of Transport, highlights the geostrategic importance of this project, aiming to improve relations between Spain and Morocco as well as between Europe and Africa. She indicates that deep-sea drilling research campaigns have already been conducted over the past year.
According to project details, the tunnel would have an extension of 42 kilometers, connecting the Punta Paloma area to Tarifa and Punta Malabata in the Bay of Tangier, with 27.7 kilometers under the sea and 11 kilometers underground.
This transborder link is seen as a significant step towards connectivity between the two continents, transforming the landscape of bilateral relations and greatly benefiting high-speed rail services in both countries.
The project aims to boost the European and African economies by reducing transportation and logistics costs, stimulating trade, and facilitating the movement of people. Socially, it will strengthen ties between the peoples of the two continents.
In terms of numbers, the project could allow the transit of over 13 million tons of goods and 12.8 million passengers per year, thereby contributing to the economic development of the western Mediterranean region, according to the Spanish Society for Studies on Fixed Communications across the Strait of Gibraltar (Secegsa).
Although the project was initially discussed in 1980, its realization now seems more imminent with the approach of the 2030 World Cup and the logistical progress made over the years. This tunnel emerges as a potential reality that could strengthen ties between Morocco and Spain, marking a significant advancement in cross-border relations and transportation infrastructure between the two countries.
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