Spanish firm Herrenknecht Iberica has been awarded a €296,400 contract to conduct a drilling feasibility study for the proposed Morocco-to-Spain undersea rail link.
The study is set to begin immediately and is expected to conclude by June, according to reports from local media.
The Spanish government revived the project in June 2022, allocating approximately $2.5m for a fresh design study.
Originally launched in 2003, the project was delayed following the 2008 financial crisis and has since remained in the feasibility stage due to funding challenges spanning nearly two decades.
The proposed rail link will include plans for a double-rail track and a service line stretching 38.5km between Tarifa in Spain and Tangier in Morocco.
Approximately 28km of the route will pass beneath the Mediterranean Sea, reaching a maximum depth of 475m.
The tunnels will be constructed at a maximum depth of 300m, with single-track tunnels featuring an inner diameter of 7.9m and a service gallery with a 6m diameter.
The project is being jointly developed by Morocco’s National Society for Strait of Gibraltar Studies and Spain’s Sociedad Española de Estudios para la Comunicación Fija a Través del Estrecho de Gibraltar.
In 2006, Swiss company Lombardi Engineering was chosen to design the tunnel, completing preliminary studies by 2008.
This news article was first reported by MEED.
