High-Speed Rail Link Could Connect Casablanca to Madrid in 5.5 Hours

According to the National Society for Gibraltar Strait Studies (SNED), the Gibraltar Strait railway tunnel project aimed at connecting Morocco and Spain could allow the rail link between Casablanca and Madrid in five hours and twenty minutes on a high-speed line, reports SNRTNews. This is the result of the technical, socio-economic and environmental studies carried out by SNED and the Spanish company, the Sociedad Española de Estudios para la Comunicación Fija a través del Estrecho de Gibraltar, S. A. (SECEGSA). "The high-speed rail line existing in Morocco and Spain should significantly reduce travel time compared to regular trains, as confirmed by the studies carried out on this subject," added the Moroccan media.

The Gibraltar Strait railway tunnel project aimed at connecting Morocco and Spain dates back to June 16, 1976. At the time, the late King Hassan II and the former King of Spain Juan Carlos agreed to work on the development of the project, in accordance with their commitment to strengthen bilateral ties between Europe and Africa. Relegated to oblivion several times due to the diplomatic crisis between the two countries, the project studies have been relaunched this year. Spain and Morocco have relaunched the Gibraltar Strait tunnel project, reported the Spanish newspaper La Razon in February.

"We are embarking on a new stage in the relaunch of the fixed link project across the Strait of Gibraltar, which we launched in 1981, hand in hand," said the Spanish Minister of Transport during a meeting with the Moroccan Minister of Equipment, Nizar Baraka, during which she renewed her country’s commitment.