Undersea tunnel to connect two continents. It's not science fiction but an investment worth billions of euros

An underwater tunnel connecting Europe with Africa sounds like a vision from a science fiction movie, but today it is already a concrete plan. A luxurious, fast and safe journey between Madrid and Tangier could become a symbol of a new era of mobility – beautiful, bold and responsible.

Imagine boarding a train in Spain and getting off in Morocco , and on top of that, gliding along a train under the surface of the Mediterranean Sea . The futuristic idea is just beginning to take shape. Spain has allocated €1.6 million for a detailed study of the possibilities of building a tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar , which would connect Europe with Africa . Although the idea was conceived in the 1970s, it is only now that it has a real chance of being implemented. All thanks to new technologies and EU support.

View of the Strait of Gibraltar and Morocco - map /Shutterstock

Spain and Morocco are just 29 kilometres apart, with the nearest ports less than 16 nautical miles away. Today, ferries and planes are the dominant modes of transport between the two countries. Meanwhile, the idea of ​​a rail tunnel running under the seabed was first proposed in 1979. It was inspired by the Channel Tunnel between Great Britain and France , a symbol of groundbreaking engineering and international cooperation.

View of the Strait of Gibraltar from the Spanish side in Tarifa, Spain / Shutterstock

The new tunnel would be 38.5 km long, of which 27.7 km would be underwater. It would house two lines that would connect the European high-speed rail network with Morocco's Al Boraq line . This would mean that the journey from Madrid to Casablanca could take just 5.5 hours .

The project will not only change the way we travel, but could also be a powerful boost for the economy.

The tunnel will facilitate the flow of people, goods and services between continents. Experts estimate that the connection could be used by over 12 million passengers per year . Importantly, the investment is supported by the European Union and is in line with the ecological trend of limiting air traffic .

The research and preparations are being carried out by European engineering leaders – the Spanish SECEGSA and the German company Herrenknecht. The project is financed by EU funds and is expected to cost between 6 and 15 billion euros . Seabed research and seismic tests are already underway, and the first reports are due in the summer.