The new £6bn mega-tunnel under the sea that would link Africa to Europe

An ambitious undersea tunnel estimated to cost £6 billion could connect Africa to Europe via a 28-kilometre passage by 2030.

The project would see Punta Paloma in southern Spain linked to Malabata in northwest Morocco through an underwater tunnel up to 475 metres below sea level.

The route would serve as an undersea subway for a high-speed rail line travelling between the two continents below the Strait of Gibraltar.

If completed in line with current targets, the tunnel could be in operation in just over five years, providing vital transport for fans attending the 2030 FIFA World Cup which will be hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

The major sporting competition has sparked renewed interest in the infrastructure project, which has been in discussion since the 1970’s.

Over the years, some engineers have outlined the possibility of a bridge link as a more viable option, but developments in rail infrastructure have encouraged preference for an undersea ‘mega tunnel’.

Spain has one of Europe’s most advanced high-speed rail networks, while Morocco has a 201-mile bullet train extending from Casablanca to Tangier.

An underwater rail tunnel would reduce the travel time between Madrid and Casablanca to just five and a half hours, a drastic reduction compared to the twelve-hour car journey currently needed.

A joint committee of Spanish and Moroccan authorities was established in 1979 to discuss the prospect of an underwater tunnel link, although the board failed to progress beyond initial feasibility studies.

Just last year, the Spanish Society for Fixed Communication Studies across the Strait of Gibraltar announced they were reconsidering the project’s viability, and in recent months, the Moroccan Nation Company for Strait Studies has followed suit.

Spanish authorities estimate the tunnel could transport up to 12.8 million passengers between the two countries each year, although the project is forecast to cost upwards of £6 billion to construct.

If successful, the tunnel would be the first rail link between two continents and boost global connectivity far beyond the World Cup.