Spain funds the next phase of the Strait of Gibraltar rail-tunnel studies

The Spanish government approved an additional €1.73 million in March 2026 for studies on the proposed Strait of Gibraltar rail tunnel, bringing total funding since 2022 to more than €9.6 million. Spain's public engineering firm Ineco is leading a full update of the preliminary design — the first since 2007 — due for completion in August 2026.

The scheme envisages a twin-bore railway tunnel of roughly 65 kilometres, with a submarine section of between 27.7 and 40 kilometres, linking Punta Paloma near Tarifa to Malabata near Tangier. Cost estimates run to €7.5–10 billion, with construction potentially starting from 2027.

A fixed link would transform the movement of goods and people between Europe and Africa — a long-horizon prospect GMBA tracks for its implications across the Strait.