Renfe will be the first cross-border rail operator to connect Spain and the main cities in the south of France with six daily trains. The Spanish company has already submitted its application for the official safety certificate to the EUAR’s central contact point.
Renfe will start operations in Toulouse next year. The Spanish operator continues to make steady progress in expanding the high-speed network in France and plans to start operating its third line in the second quarter of 2025, connecting Barcelona and Toulouse with stops in Girona, Figueres, Perpignan and Carcassonne. Once the requested timetables have been confirmed, the new railway line will also offer connections from Madrid, Zaragoza, Tarragona, Valencia, Lleida and Castellón.
Overall, Renfe’s range of destinations in France is growing. With Toulouse and Carcassonne, eleven French cities now have access to AVE (high-speed rail). This is another example of the progress made in creating a network of destinations directly connected to Renfe trains, multiplying travel options by connecting to other trains on both sides of the border.
As with the arrival of the AVE in Lyon and Marseille, the new Renfe trains will make it possible to restore the direct train connection between Toulouse, Carcassonne and Spain.
Toulouse is the fourth most populous city in France, an industrial centre and tourist destination of international interest and the gateway to the Atlantic sector. The new AVE line will also stop in Carcassonne, a popular tourist destination in the Languedoc region.
The new connection Barcelona Toulouse offered from Renfe / Credit: Renfe
Renfe: Next steps planned
Renfe has already submitted an application to the EUAR (European Railway Agency) for the renewal of the safety certificate for operations with Toulouse. The business plan foresees daily round trips with the AVE s-100 high-speed trains and the application for timetables to connect the operation with all other AVE high-speed trains in Spain and France, thus optimising all connections and links.
Initially, the train will operate seasonally: from the beginning of April to mid-September, with the possibility of extending the service later to meet demand from business travellers. The planned journey time between Barcelona and Toulouse is around 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Once the safety certificate has been granted, Renfe will immediately start training staff (drivers and inspectors) and announce the date of ticket sales and the start of the service.
Leading provider of cross-border connections
With the new service on the international route, Renfe is consolidating its position as the leading provider of cross-border connections between Spain and France with its high-speed trains (AVE). From the spring, Renfe will offer six daily services (three in each direction) linking 17 cities in both countries with direct trains.
Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse Toulouse will be the new hub of Renfe’s AVE routes. In future, they will connect Marseille and Lyon, the three most populous cities in France, directly to Paris. Renfe hopes to be able to deploy the AVE S-106 high-speed trains as soon as possible following the successful Talgo certification.
Renfe is also working on becoming the leading provider for all French passengers by opening the line to Toulouse in April. It serves eleven destinations in France on three different routes with six daily connections with AVE trains.
This brand has established itself on the French market. In its first year of operations in France, Renfe experienced a demand for services that resulted in train capacity utilisation of up to 80%. Renfe’s offer was also very well received: attractive prices, high quality and excellent service.
Source: Renfe
Beitragsfoto: Kristina Skoreva auf Unsplash
