Renfe will start operating in Toulouse next year with the Renfe AVE Barcelona Toulouse high-speed train. The Spanish operator continues to make steady progress on the Alta Velocidad (high-speed) rail network in France and plans to start the services of its third route during the second quarter of 2025 to connect Barcelona and Toulouse, with stops in Girona, Figueres, Perpignan, and Carcassonne. If the requested schedules are confirmed, the new route will also connect through links from Madrid, Zaragoza, Tarragona, Valencia, Lleida, or Castellón.

Renfe’s map of French destinations is growing. With Toulouse and Carcassonne, eleven French cities will now have access to the AVE (high-speed) service. This is just another example of the progress achieved in the creation of a network of destinations that are connected directly with Renfe’s trains and also multiplies the possibilities of travelling by connecting to other trains on both sides of the border.

As was the case with the arrival of the AVE to Lyon and Marseille, the new Renfe trains will allow the direct train connection between Toulouse, Carcassonne, and Spain to be restored.

Toulouse is the fourth most populous city in France, an industrial center and tourist destination of international interest, and a gateway to the Atlantic Sector. The new AVE route will also stop in Carcassonne, a popular tourist destination in the Languedoc area.

Renfe AVE Barcelona Toulouse high-speed train – Next steps

Renfe has already submitted the request for the extension of the safety certificate to operate with Toulouse to the EUAR (European Union Railway Agency). The business plan includes daily one-way and return services on AVE (high-speed) s-100 trains and a request for schedules to connect this service with all other AVE (high-speed) trains in Spain and France, to optimize all connections and links.

Initially, this train will run seasonally, from the beginning of April to mid-September, with the possibility of extending its operations later on, every year, to also cater to the demand of business passengers. The expected travel time will be around 3 hours and 30 minutes between Barcelona and Toulouse.

After Renfe is granted the safety certificate, the company will immediately start to train its staff (engine drivers and inspectors) and will announce the date when tickets are available and the start of the service.

Leader in cross-border connections

The new service for the international route consolidates Renfe’s position with its AVE (high-speed) trains as the leading operator in cross-border connections between Spain and France. From spring, Renfe will offer six daily frequencies (three in each direction) that will connect 17 cities in both countries on direct train trips.

Until Renfe rolled out the new service in France in July 2023, most of the current international AVE (high-speed) routes could only be made by road and, in some cases, by plane. In this way, Renfe is working to guarantee the connected and sustainable mobility demanded by the Single European Railway Area project.

Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse

Toulouse will be a new hub of Renfe’s AVE (high-speed) routes that will connect Marseille and Lyon, the three most important cities in France in terms of number of inhabitants, right after Paris, where Renfe hopes to also be able to operate as soon as possible with its high-capacity AVE (high-speed) S-106 trains when Talgo is certified.

Moreover, Renfe continues to work to become a leading operator for all French passengers by opening the Toulouse line in April, which will serve eleven destinations in France on three different routes with six daily services on AVE (high-speed) trains.

A brand that has succeeded in the French market. In its first year operating in France, Renfe saw a demand for its services that resulted in filling its train, up to 80% of their capacity, and a very positive response to its value proposition: attractive prices with high levels of quality and service excellence.