Transport ministers from France and Spain have launched the first joint-operated high-speed train service between Paris and Barcelona.
French Transport Minister Frédéric Cuvillier and Spain’s Minister of Public Works, Ana Pastor, were in Barcelona to see off the first train on December 15 alongside Guillaume Pepy, chairman of SNCF, and Julio Gomez-Pomar Rodrigruez, president of Renfe.
The new route, which has come into service following the completion of a 131-kilometre line between Barcelona and Figueras, allows passengers to travel between Paris and Barcelona in around six hours and 25 minutes.
SNCF has sold around 30,000 tickets for the new service since sales opened on November 28, with prices starting from €59.
Initially, Renfe and SNCF will operate five services a day in each direction: two daily services from Paris to Barcelona, and three more trains from Toulouse to Barcelona, Lyon to Barcelona and Marseille to Madrid.
More to follow
It is very strange that 131 km are covered by a high speed train in 6 hrs isn’t it?
Thanks for pointing that out. The 131 kilometres actually refers to the Barcelona-Figueras section which was completed in January.