Morocco plans to establish a railway connecting Casablanca and Madrid and covering the distance between them in 5.5 hours, state media outlet SNRTNews reports.
While it is unclear how much the high-speed rail project will cost or be funded, the aim is for it to be completed ahead of the 2030 World Cup.
The project, proposed by the National Company for the Studies of the Strait of Gibraltar, will support infrastructure and transportation between Spain, Morocco, and Portugal, which will jointly host the soccer tournament, set to attract millions of fans from across the world.
Morocco and Spain last February relaunched the Gibraltar Strait tunnel project, which is expected to facilitate the construction of the railway project.
Spanish transport minister Raquel Sanchez said earlier the project idea was presented in 1979 in Moroccan city of Fez. King Hassan II of Morocco and King Juan Carlos I of Spain agreed at that time to work toward the development of the project to boost bilateral ties between Europe and Africa.
However, construction works halted due to the diplomatic problems between Spain and Morocco. But the latest Spain’s decision to endorse Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara revived their determination to resume halted projects.
Related Articles
Egypt launches global tender to explore gas in Eastern Mediterranean
Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum has issued a global tender inviting specialised companies to conduct a seismic survey covering 100,000 square kilometres in the Eastern Mediterranean, Asharq reported ... more
US Congress move casts doubt on Kenya’s Major non-NATO Ally status
Kenya’s newly acquired designation as a Major non-NATO Ally (MNNA) is potentially under threat after a US Senate proposal called for its review ... more
Kenya’s Interior Ministry ranked most corrupt in new EACC report
Kenya’s Ministry of Interior and National Administration has been ranked the most corruption-prone national government institution, according to the latest survey released by the country’s ... more