Spanish-based Herrenknecht Iberica has been awarded the contract for a drilling feasibility study for the Morocco-Spain undersea rail line. The line involves a 38.5km stretch between Tarifa in Spain and Tangier in Morocco. Moreover, the scope of implementation also entails a double-rail track. According to local media reports, the study is expected to start immediately and be completed by June. Last year in June, the Spanish government revived the monumental project. This was facilitated by the $2.5 million that was allocated for a renewed design study.
The Morocco-Spain undersea rail line was launched in 2003 but was later put on hold after the 2008 financial crisis. After that, it has undergone several rounds of feasibility studies. However, it remains in the study stage after nearly twenty years of delays linked to funding. Apart from the earlier plans of a double-rail track and an additional 38.5 km stretch service line, there are plans to include a 28-kilometer section. The section is expected to run under the Mediterranean Sea at a maximum depth of 475 meters.
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The Scope of Implementation on the Morocco-Spain Undersea Rail Line.
The implementation of the Morocco-Spain undersea rail line will see both countries develop the project jointly. This will be done through Morocco’s National Society for Strait of Gibraltar Studies for the Moroccan side. On the other hand, the Sociedad Espanola de Estudios para the Communicacion Fija a Traves del Estrecho de Gibraltar will oversee implementation for the Spanish side. The maximum depth of the tunnels will be 300 meters.
Each single-track tunnel will have a diameter of 7.9 meters on the inner side. Furthermore, the service gallery will be 6 meters in diameter to ensure ease of passage and access. The design of the tunnel and preliminary studies are available, which is expected to facilitate the project’s commencement. In 2006, Swiss engineering firm Lombardi Engineering was selected to design the tunnel, and preliminary studies were completed two years later.
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