SPAIN’s Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has authorised expenditure of €1.73m by the Spanish Company for Studies on a Fixed Link Across the Gibraltar Strait (Secegsa) for technical studies for the proposed railway tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco.
This follows the completion in December of a study by German tunnel boring machine (TBM) supplier Herrenknecht, which confirmed the viability of boring a 65km tunnel. However, Herrenknecht ruled out the possibility of completing the tunnel in time for the FIFA football world cup which is being staged by Spain, Portugal and Morocco in 2030.
Herrenknecht says a more realistic timeframe for completing the project is between 2035 and 2040. This is due to the considerable geological challenges, such as flysch formations - a sedimentary deposit consisting of thin beds of shale or marl alternating with coarser strata such as sandstone or conglomerate - together with the depth and instability of the seabed, which will require preliminary exploratory tunnels, advanced seismic studies, and specially adapted TBMs.
While the tunnel could be connected to the Spanish and Moroccan high-speed rail networks, a new line would need to be built in Spain.
State-owned engineering consultancy Ineco is due to complete an initial pre-project plan this summer. This could be followed by a tender next year for an exploratory shaft.
For detailed data on rail projects worldwide, subscribe to IRJ Pro.
