Renfe is already had at work on the next steps of its roadmap to become a leading operator in France. The company's chairman, Raül Blanco, today announced that the company will start new cross-border routes connecting Catalonia and the Basque Country to the south of France from 2024 onwards.
The eastern end of the project, connecting Catalonia to the French region of Occitanie, will see new high-speed services between Barcelona and Perpignan, extending to the city of Toulouse.
The services will connect Barcelona, Girona and Figueras with Perpignan, doubling the number of journeys to this station, as well as having at least one extension to Toulouse, with an intermediate stop in Carcassonne.
On the western side, Renfe plans to connect San Sebastian with Hendaye and Bayonne, creating routes between the Basque Country and the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
Both projects, expected to be completed in 2024, involve creating new transport relationships to offer cross-border services between cities that are very close to one another on either side of the border, generating a more sustainable mobility network and taking another step forward in the positioning of Renfe as the provider of transport services in France.
The announcement comes just a day after the company presented the portfolio of AVE (high-speed) trains that will be used to launch its own commercial operations in France, with routes to Lyon and Marseille going on sale tomorrow.