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Europe and Africa could be linked by one of the most ambitious engineering works ever imagined. A submarine rail megaproject aims to connect two continents with a state-of-the-art underwater tunnel that promises to transform trade, transportation, and global geopolitics.
The historic megaproject that will connect Europe and Africa for the first time
The governments of Spain and Morocco are advancing technical studies to build a rail tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar that would unite both continents for the first time in history.
The tunnel would connect Punta Paloma, in southern Spain, with Punta Malabata, near Tangier, in Morocco. The infrastructure would have:
- Approximately 42 kilometers in length
- About 27.7 kilometers under the sea
- Depths of up to 475 meters
It would be one of the most complex underwater projects on the planet.
The longest underwater tunnel in the world
The project is mainly intended for rail transport and includes:
- Two independent rail tunnels
- A central emergency and maintenance gallery
- Passenger and freight trains
The journey could be completed in around 30 minutes.
The greatest engineering work of the century
The project faces extremely complex conditions due to:
- Seismic activity in the Strait of Gibraltar
- Strong sea currents
- The great submarine depth
- The geological complexity of the terrain