Spanish railways fire up the turbo to France

Spain and France have been among the world's most popular tourist destinations for years – and now the rail connection between the two neighboring countries is to be further expanded. The Spanish railway company Renfe is planning a new high-speed connection between Barcelona and Toulouse from mid-2025.

Six AVE trains a day – three in each direction – will provide better connections to 17 cities in Spain and southern France. The travel time between Barcelona and Toulouse will be reduced to around three and a half hours, as reported in the trade magazine «Global Railway Review».

Eleven new French cities in the Renfe network

The new route is to run via Girona, Figueres, Perpignan and Carcassonne and not only provide a fast connection between Spain and France, but also attractive connections to other Spanish cities such as Madrid, Zaragoza, Tarragona and Valencia. This is Renfe's response to the growing demand for cross-border train travel and strengthens its presence in France.

With the stops in Toulouse and Carcassonne, Renfe is expanding its French route network to a total of eleven cities. For travelers, the new connection should be an exciting alternative – after all, Toulouse is one of France's most important economic and tourist centers. In addition, direct rail connections that were interrupted in recent years are being restored.

Renfe is awaiting approval from the European Union Agency for Railways (EUAR) to begin operations in Toulouse. Once the permit is granted, on-board staff training and ticket sales will commence. The official starting date for the new AVE route is the second quarter of 2025. If demand is high, the connection could be extended beyond the planned season from April to September.