Renfe recovers high-speed train connection between Barcelona and Toulouse in 2025

Spain's train operator Renfe will recover the high-speed route between Barcelona and Toulouse in the second quarter of 2025, as announced on Friday.

The new route will connect the two cities in 3.30 hours, with stops in Girona, Figueres, Perpignan and Carcassonne, a popular tourist destination.

There will also be connections to Madrid, Zaragoza, Tarragona, Valencia, Lleida and Castellón.

The route will initially run two trains, one in each direction, from April to September, with further expansion expected in the future.

The new route is part of Renfe's plan to become the leading high-speed operator in France after the Spanish operator broke relations with French counterpart SNCF at the end of 2022.

Once in service, Renfe will be the main operator between France and Spain, with six daily trains, three in each direction, connecting 17 cities.

The new route joins two others already in service, linking Barcelona to Marseille and Lyon.

But Renfe's main goal, a route to Paris, is still waiting. The Spanish rail operator is waiting for its trains to be homologated, which it hopes will happen "as soon as possible."