A joint Spanish-Moroccan project to build a railway tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar to connect Europe and Africa was presented in Madrid at the end of December 2025. Its authors believe that the tunnel will allow connections between the two continents to be significantly expanded. It is predicted that the future facility will be used by about 13 million passengers a year.
However, the basic design documentation is not yet ready, and many experts doubt that the idea can ever be realized - especially considering the technical and financial problems that may arise in the initial stages of construction.
History of the idea: from bridges to a railway tunnel
Talks about building a tunnel or bridge across the Strait of Gibraltar have been going on for a long time, historian Santiago Martinez told DW. There were projects to connect the two continents as early as the 1970s, but none of them were implemented. The reason: the complexity of such an engineering facility. Experts are adamant that due to the specifics of the Strait of Gibraltar, more innovative technical solutions will be needed than those used, for example, in the construction of the Channel Tunnel, which will also significantly increase the cost of the project.
As for the plans for building a bridge over the strait, they were buried back in the 1980s, says Martinez. Their implementation turned out to be impossible due to the depth of the strait, the unstable seismic situation, the turbulent currents on the border between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the winds in the area. The idea of building a road tunnel was also rejected - due to possible problems with ventilation and passenger safety. Against this background, the implementation of a railway tunnel seems more possible, experts believe. In addition, there is political will for this: both in Spain and Morocco.
From Europe to Africa in half an hour
Madrid engineer Raul Varela told DW that even before the current plans were announced, the Spanish authorities had attracted the German company “Herrenknecht” to the project, which has experience in building similar facilities. The company also believes that building a tunnel under Gibraltar is in principle possible. However, German experts recommend starting with a kind of “test tunnel” - from the coast to the most problematic zone in terms of seismic and tectonic activity.
According to Varela, the length of the tunnel will be about 42 km, of which 28 will be under the seabed - 470 m below the surface. Trains will be able to cover the distance in half an hour. It is planned that there will be three lines - two for trains that will travel regularly, and one for repair work and emergency evacuation of passengers. , and in Spain - to Punta Paloma in the province of Cadiz.
Technical parameters of the facility
The preparation of the basic documentation for the project has been assigned to the Spanish state-owned company INECO, and after resolving the technical issues, the financing issue will arise. The construction is estimated in advance at 15 billion euros, but it is possible that this amount will be exceeded. Spain plans to invest nine billion, and the remaining amount will be provided by Morocco and possibly by the EU, as the Spanish hope. Spain has already spent more than one million of European funds on research activities.
Engineer Varel points out to DW that INECO will have to study the complex geology of the region extremely carefully, with the assistance of foreign specialists, which will take time. The issue of financing is also complicated, given the current deplorable economic situation in Spain. So, construction will at best not begin until 2030, the expert believes. And the work could last between five and ten years.
„Of course, now, unlike in previous times, the Spanish authorities seem to be taking the project very seriously. However, many experts are not convinced that its implementation will be possible," Varela summarizes.
Political disputes and immigration risks
Meanwhile, the Madrid newspaper „Confidencial" wrote that although the project is still in its initial phase, it has already caused heated political disputes. Conservative forces in Spanish society argue that this facility is not needed at all, given Spain's developed air and sea connections with Morocco. Cargo ships and passenger ferries pass through the strait, carrying tens of thousands of people from North Africa, mostly Moroccans and Algerians, who work in Europe in the summer.
Opponents of the tunnel say that it will only contribute to illegal immigration. And now, up to 65,000 illegal refugees arrive in Spain from Africa alone every year, some of whom only transit through the Iberian Peninsula, heading to other European countries. “Confidencial” recalls the so-called “Calais crisis” in 2015, when thousands of illegal refugees gathered in this French city and organized riots in an attempt to use the Channel Tunnel to reach Britain.