Spain has approved €1.73m to continue studies on a planned train tunnel between Europe and Africa through Morocco.
The money will go to Secegsa, the state company in charge of the project, according to Spanish media. The transport ministry signed off the funding to help move technical work forward.
Since 2022, Spain has given more than €9.61m to the project. Before that, the company received just €50,000 a year.
A key study led by public engineering firm Ineco is expected to finish by June 2026. Early plans include high-speed trains that could connect Moroccan cities directly to parts of Europe.
The project is now moving from early ideas to a stage where costs, timelines and technical details are being worked out. Current estimates put the cost between €6bn and €9bn.
But there are still major challenges.
German company Herrenknecht, which is involved in the studies, says the tunnel can be built, but not in time for the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will host with Spain and Portugal. It says a more likely completion date is between 2035 and 2040.
The main problem is the ground under the sea. Parts of it are unstable and difficult to dig through. Engineers will need to carry out detailed surveys and may have to build test tunnels first.
The route will not follow the shortest path. Instead, it will take a longer line where the sea is less deep, although the tunnel will still go far below the seabed.
The idea of a fixed link between Europe and Africa is not new. It dates back more than 150 years. Spain and Morocco agreed to study it together in 1979. Plans for a bridge were later dropped because of strong winds, currents and busy shipping routes.
If built, the tunnel could cut travel time between Casablanca and Madrid to about five and a half hours. The crossing under the sea could take around 20 to 30 minutes.
Morocco is already expanding its high-speed rail network, with plans to reach 1,500km by 2040. The tunnel would connect to this network and could also help move goods more quickly between Africa and Europe.
It could also carry power cables and internet links in the future.
