Editing Strait of Gibraltar (section)

==Communications==
[[File:Hércules3D.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|3-D rendering, looking eastwards towards the Mediterranean]]

The Strait is an important [[shipping route]] from the [[Mediterranean]] to the [[Atlantic]]. [[Ferries]] operate between Spain and Morocco across the Strait, as well as between Spain and [[Ceuta]] and [[Gibraltar]] to [[Tangier]].

=== Tunnel across the Strait ===
Discussion between Spain and Morocco of a tunnel under the strait began in the 1980s. In December 2003, both countries agreed to explore the construction of an [[underwater|undersea]] [[Rail transport|rail]] [[tunnel]] to connect their rail systems across the Strait. The gauge of the rail would be {{Railgauge|standard}} to match the proposed construction and conversion of significant parts of the existing broad gauge system to [[standard gauge]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3317149.stm "Europe-Africa rail tunnel agreed"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220602103655/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3317149.stm |date=2 June 2022 }}. [[BBC News]].</ref> While the project remained in a planning phase, Spanish and Moroccan officials met to discuss it occasionally, including in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bluedoorhotel.com/2012/04/17/tunnel-to-connect-morocco-with-europe/ |archive-date=4 November 2012 |title=Tunnel to Connect Morocco with Europe |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104063638/http://bluedoorhotel.com/2012/04/17/tunnel-to-connect-morocco-with-europe/ |date=17 February 2012 |website=bluedoorhotel.com}}</ref> Those talks led to nothing constructive happening, but in April 2021 ministers from both countries agreed to a joint intergovernmental meeting to be held in [[Casablanca]] in the coming months. This was in order to resume discussions on a tunnel.<ref>{{cite web |title=Strait of Gibraltar underwater railway tunnel project coming back to life |url=https://constructionreviewonline.com/news/strait-of-gibraltar-underwater-railway-tunnel-project-coming-back-to-life/ |website=Construction Review Online |access-date=6 October 2021 |date=15 August 2021 |archive-date=16 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116102016/https://constructionreviewonline.com/news/strait-of-gibraltar-underwater-railway-tunnel-project-coming-back-to-life/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Morocco, Spain discuss revival of fixed link project via Gibraltar Strait |url=https://northafricapost.com/49238-morocco-spain-discuss-revival-of-fixed-link-project-via-gibraltar-strait.html |website=The North Africa Post |access-date=6 October 2021 |date=22 April 2021 |archive-date=6 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006170121/https://northafricapost.com/49238-morocco-spain-discuss-revival-of-fixed-link-project-via-gibraltar-strait.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Earlier, in January 2021, the UK government had studied plans for a tunnel to link Gibraltar with [[Tangiers]] that would replace the Spanish-Moroccan project that until then had had no tangible results after over 40 years of discussions.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Alaoui |first1=Mohamed |title=British-Moroccan undersea tunnel would connect Africa to Europe |url=https://thearabweekly.com/british-moroccan-undersea-tunnel-would-connect-africa-europe |website=The Arab Weekly |access-date=6 October 2021 |date=9 January 2021 |archive-date=6 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006073640/https://thearabweekly.com/british-moroccan-undersea-tunnel-would-connect-africa-europe |url-status=live }}</ref>