As the 2030 World Cup approaches, the host countries, Morocco, Spain and Portugal, are strengthening their infrastructure to host this sporting event. In this frantic race, the rail tunnel project between the Shereef Kingdom and the Costa del Sol is accelerating. Mentioned by the British newspaper Daily Express, this connection promises smooth travel and structured logistics. According to the same source, “last summer, Spain confirmed a fund of two million euros for the design study of this rail tunnel project which will connect the country to Morocco under the Strait of Gibraltar”. The newspaper recalls that the project was put back on the table “after the completion of the high-speed rail link between Casablanca and Tangier, via the capital Rabat”. Raquel Sánchez, Spanish Minister of Transport, confirmed that “just a year ago we were promoting a project of maximum geostrategic importance which would improve relations both between Spain and Morocco and between Europe and Africa”. “During this period, three research campaigns on deep underwater drilling and various projects with socio-economic and environmental impacts have already been carried out, which must now be adapted to the new legal, institutional and financial frameworks,” adds the daily. According to the Iberian press, this connection constitutes a further step towards the connection between the two continents which would change the panorama of bilateral relations thanks to this engineering work. Likewise, the English tabloid reports that the high-speed rail services of the two countries would benefit enormously. The project envisages that the extension of the said tunnel would be 42 kilometers and would connect the area of Punta Paloma, in Tarifa, and Punta Malabata, in the Bay of Tangier, of which 27.7 would pass under the sea and 11 underground. In fact, the connection between Spain and Morocco would function as a catalyst for the European and African economies. This will reduce transport and logistics costs, thus promoting trade. It will also facilitate the travel of people, in particular the Moroccan community living abroad. On a social level, this project will strengthen ties between the people of the African and European continents, by extending the family, historical and scientific ties that unite them. In addition, this infrastructure would allow in the medium term the transit of more than 13 million tonnes of goods and 12.8 million passengers per year, which could greatly contribute to the economic development of the western Mediterranean, according to data previously released by the Spanish Society for Studies for Fixed Communications across the Strait of Gibraltar (Secegsa). The ambition for a connection between the two countries is not recent. In 1980, a year after the joint declaration of intentions signed by the late King Hassan II and Juan Carlos I, king of Spain from 1975 to 2014, two public entities were created on each side of the strait. Today, with the imminence of the World Cup in 2030 and logistical progress, this project is on the verge of becoming a reality.
source: fr.hespress.com
