Minister: Morocco-Spain tunnel “will happen”
A dream for decades, the train tunnel between Morocco and Spain “will happen”, says a Moroccan minister - no telling when, though.
Imagine boarding a train in Seville at 8 AM and arriving in Casablanca at 10:30. Or in Marrakech at 11.
It’s a picture that Karim Ghellab, the Moroccan minister of Transport, paints in this Sunday’s Washington Post (free registration required). All it takes is a tunnel between Spain and Morocco and a high-speed rail link.
“It’s not easy to predict a date yet, but it is a project that will happen,” Ghellab tells the newspaper.
It’s worth remembering, though, that this idea has been around since the Seventies - it’s never gotten further than dreams, sketches and signs of intent from both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar.
The article neatly sums up the pros and cons. It’s good for tourism and trade. It would benefit the economies of both Morocco and Spain (and the rest of the European Union).
But it will cost a fortune (US$ 13 billion, some people say), it will be very difficult to build under the deep waters of the Strait and plenty of people in Europe fear it may turn into an underground entrance into the Union for thousands of illegal immigrants.
Right now, the umpteenth “feasibility study” is under way. When that is finished in a few years, a final decision should be reached. The European Union and private investors will have to bring the cash, so presumably they get to decide on the project.
Still, the Post reminds us, Rabat and Madrid are dedicated to the project. It may not make much economical sense (Channel Tunnel, anyone?), but it would certainly be a great sign of improved relations between Spain and Morocco to see the idea move beyond the drawing board.
The biggest optimists think the tunnel could be a reality in 2025.
- Until 2025, ferries will have to do the trick, then