Spain Advances Plans for Multibillion-Euro Underwater Rail Tunnel to Morocco

Ineco has been mandated to update the preliminary project carried out in 2007 by the companies Typsa (Spain), Ingema (Morocco), Lombardi (Switzerland) and Geodata (Italy). To achieve its mission, the engineering company will collect and analyze all the technical and economic data necessary for the implementation of the project.

According to previous studies, the cost of the project is estimated at around 10 billion euros, a colossal budget that should be mobilized with the contribution of European and African financial institutions. The Moroccan and Spanish authorities have renewed their commitment to build this tunnel before the 2030 World Cup that their two countries will host alongside Portugal.

Ineco will propose a new longer route for the tunnel under the strait. The initial length of the project is 14 kilometers with a depth of 1,000 meters. Alternatives will be proposed to consider the construction of the tunnel over a longer distance but with a depth of less than 300 meters, reveals Vozpopuli.

While the initial project plans for a single-tube railway tunnel and a second parallel tunnel to allow the circulation of people and goods, the new studies will focus on the hypothesis of connecting the tunnel to the European rail network, which should allow connecting Rabat to Madrid before the 2030 World Cup.