More than four decades after engineers first floated the idea of a rail link beneath the Strait of Gibraltar, Morocco and Spain have finally moved the project into high gear. The ambitious idea of connecting Africa and Europe through an underwater rail tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar, a project conceived more than three decades ago, is resurfacing with force. This initiative goes beyond engineering, aiming for regional cooperation and geopolitical unification.
In February 2023, after a high-level bilateral meeting between Spain and Morocco, the Moroccan and Spanish governments resolved to relaunch the project for an undersea railway tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar. The project is planned to start construction in 2030.
In August 2025 the two governments validated the "Gibraltar rail tunnel," releasing EUR 1.6 million for new feasibility studies and reviving a vision first outlined in 1979. Since then, investment has increased significantly. The Spanish public company Secegsa, responsible for the feasibility studies, saw its budget increase from €100.000 in 2022 to €2,7 million in 2024, supplemented by an additional €2 million from the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Facility.
This may sound like something from a Jules Verne novel, but it was first discussed by Spain and Morocco in 1979. They even did feasibility studies through 1981, but the project failed to progress beyond that point. Spain and Morocco are now reconsidering this ambitious undertaking, spurred in large part by the approaching 2030 FIFA World Cup.
It will mark the centennial World Cup competition, and for the first time, three countries from two continents will host the competition: Spain, Morocco, and Portugal. Fans will want to travel between these countries for matches as quickly and efficiently as possible. They might as well do so on a 21st century engineering marvel.
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The Moroccan National Company for Strait Studies (SNED) has announced that it has begun researching the project's viability, called the Euro Africa Gibraltar Straight Fixed Link. Spain commenced such studies in 2023 under the aegis of the Spanish Society for Fixed Communication Studies across the Strait of Gibraltar (SECEGSA).
The Strait of Gibraltar crossing is a hypothetical bridge or tunnel spanning the Strait of Gibraltar (about 14 km or 9 miles at its narrowest point) that would connect Europe and Africa. Several engineers have designed bridges on various alignments and with differing structural configurations.
Various tunnels have been proposed. Spain first proposed a modern tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar in 1930. A three-year study for a railway tunnel was announced in 2003. In December 2003, Spain and Morocco agreed to explore the construction of an underwater rail tunnel to connect their rail systems.
In June 2023, the Spanish government announced a €2.3 million funding package for a joint Spanish-Moroccan design and planning committee for the tunnel.
Now, imagine the convenience of a high-speed underwater rail tunnel connecting Spain and Morocco. It’s projected that this tunnel could reduce travel time from Madrid to Casablanca to just five and a half hours, a significant improvement from the current 12-hour journey by car and ferry or the two-hour flight, the latter much longer when you factor in travel time to and from airports.
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Departing Madrid, there would be a stop in the Spanish city of Algeciras, at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, near the Strait of Gibraltar. The train would then head into a tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar, running between Punta Paloma in Spain and Punta Malabata in Morocco. Its next stop would be the city of Tangier in Morocco before reaching its final destination, Casablanca. Between Algeciras and Tangier, the distance would be about 26 miles, with 17 miles of track in the undersea tunnel. At its lowest point, the tunnel would lie about 1,550 feet below sea level, with a maximum gradient of about 3%.
This would be the first-ever rail link between the two continents, and the primacy of the World Cup aside, it would connect and open up existing rail routes in both countries and far beyond. SECEGSA suggests it could carry up to 12.8 million passengers between continents annually.
The tunnel would significantly alter transportation between Africa and Europe, connecting areas previously divided by the sea. Initial proposals appeared in the 1980s but were delayed by economic, technical, and diplomatic challenges.
Technical Details and Challenges
The plan calls for a roughly 42-kilometre tunnel - about 28 km of it under the seabed - that would connect Tarifa in southern Spain to the Tanger-Med port in northern Morocco. The proposed rail tunnel's length is 40 kilometres (25 mi), 300 metres (980 ft) deep, and its construction would take 15 years.
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The Strait is up to 900 metres (3,000 ft) deep on the shortest route, but only about 300 metres deep slightly further west, in a region known as the Camarinal Sill; the European and African tectonic plates meet around this area. The shortest crossing is 14 kilometres (8.7 mi). The proposed route of 23 kilometres (14 mi) is west of Tarifa and to the east of Tangier. The tunnel is likely to be about 34 kilometres (21 miles) in all.
An earlier plan was to link the two continents via the narrowest part of the strait, but this idea was dismissed as the tunnel would be 900 metres (3,000 ft) below sea level. For comparison, the currently deepest undersea tunnel, the Norwegian Ryfylke Tunnel, is 291 metres (955 ft) below sea level.
Of the two routes considered since 2007-the Canyon Route, shorter but at greater depth, and the Umbral Route, longer but shallower-the latter was chosen. The Umbral Route, 28 kilometers long and 300 meters deep, was selected for minimizing geological hazards over the shorter but deeper Canyon Route. The complete project, including land extensions, spans 60 kilometers, surpassing the Channel Tunnel in length.
Two crucial studies are currently underway to confirm the project's technical feasibility. This study, which will run until July 2025, will provide essential data for the final design. The project faces significant technical challenges, including the Strait's strong ocean currents, its complex geology, and the area's seismic activity.
Two primary studies to confirm technical viability are ongoing. Herrenknecht Ibérica evaluates drilling methodologies at Camarinal Sill, providing essential data by July 2025. Tekpam Engineering examines regional seismic activity, resuming soon after a safety hiatus and extending through September 2025.
The area under the Strait is less stable than that under the English Channel. An active major geologic fault, the Azores-Gibraltar Transform Fault, bisects the Strait, and severe earthquakes have occurred in the area.
One engineering solution was to fix, using cables, a prefabricated concrete tunnel to the floor of the Strait. A 2008 geological study cast doubt on the tunnel's feasibility.
Although officials have flirted with the idea for years, the latest push has gained momentum thanks to aligned political will on both sides of the Strait. Spain, Portugal and Morocco will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, and leaders see the tunnel as a symbolic and strategic piece of that partnership.
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Economic and Environmental Considerations
Multiple engineering assessments estimate the price tag at between EUR 6 billion and EUR 15 billion, depending on the tunnel’s final design, the cost of logistics and materials, and the region’s challenging seabed geology. Regarding financing, preliminary estimates, not yet official, exceed €15.000 billion.
Proponents argue that the tunnel is more than a feat of engineering - it is an economic artery between continents. A dedicated Europe-Africa rail corridor would slash freight times, ease migration logistics, and provide a climate-friendlier alternative to ferries and cargo planes.
Tanger-Med, already North Africa’s busiest port, would emerge as a gateway to Europe for goods coming from West and Central Africa. For Europe, the tunnel would form part of a larger Mediterranean infrastructure corridor envisioned by the European Union; for Morocco, it aligns with a national development agenda aimed at modernising logistics and expanding global market access.
By providing a direct rail link into the heart of Europe, it would offer African exporters faster access to European markets and reduce their dependence on longer sea routes via the Suez Canal. It could also catalyse investment in rail and logistics infrastructure across North and West Africa, turning Tanger-Med into a true transcontinental hub.
But supporters argue that the environmental benefits of shifting freight from diesel-powered ships and lorries to electric rail outweigh potential downsides.
Current Status and Future Outlook
There is currently no deadline or project start date. Financing will presumably come from the host countries, Spain and Morocco, with additional support from sources such as the European Union.
Despite the optimism, significant hurdles remain. Seismic risk in the region, deep seabed geology and spiralling materials costs could push the project toward the upper end of cost estimates. Critics also question the ecological impact of boring a tunnel hundreds of metres beneath the Mediterranean.
While facing technical hurdles like strong currents and complex geology, the project also requires Morocco to modernize and electrify its northern rail infrastructure. Funding needs exceed €15 billion, necessitating solid co-financing agreements among Spain, Morocco, and the EU.
No official operational date has been set, but the tunnel could be in use around 2040 in optimistic scenarios. Initially, trains would run bidirectionally in a single tunnel, with plans for a second tunnel to optimize capacity.
If realised, the Gibraltar tunnel could be transformative for Africa. It symbolises a shift in how Africa and Europe imagine their relationship. Africa’s economies have grown more interconnected with one another and the world, while Europe has sought new partners beyond its traditional borders.
As the feasibility studies proceed and political leaders weigh the costs and benefits, one thing is clear: the dream of crossing the Mediterranean by train is closer to reality than ever.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Project Name | Gibraltar Rail Tunnel / Euro Africa Gibraltar Straight Fixed Link |
| Connecting Points | Tarifa (Spain) to Tanger-Med port (Morocco) |
| Tunnel Length | 42 kilometers (28 km undersea) |
| Estimated Cost | €6 billion - €15 billion + |
| Potential Opening | Around 2040 (optimistic scenario) |
Ultimately, the undersea tunnel represents more than steel and concrete. This venture aims to enhance trade, open logistics routes, alleviate port congestion, facilitate travel, promote tourism, and symbolize geopolitical unity, all while reducing the importance of physical borders.
The underwater tunnel between Morocco and Spain represents a step toward greater integration between the two shores of the Mediterranean, reflecting a world where physical borders are losing relevance in the face of the need for mobility, connectivity, and cooperation.
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