Renfe’s international AVE service between France and Spain has surpassed one million passengers since its launch in summer 2023.
Operating with hubs in Lyon and Marseille, the high-speed service connects around 15 destinations across both countries. A third route to Toulouse is also set to commence in the second quarter of 2025.
Renfe currently operates from Lyon-Barcelona and Marseille-Madrid. These services partially overlap between Nîmes and Barcelona, with four AVE trains (two in each direction) running each day.
Key stops include Montpellier, Nîmes, Narbonne, Perpignan, Figueres, and Girona. The Lyon route serves Valence, while the Marseille route includes Avignon and Aix-en-Provence.
Currently, Marseille-Madrid accounts for 60% of total demand, while Lyon-Barcelona is the most popular point-to-point route. Other significant connections include Barcelona-Montpellier and Lyon-Montpellier.
Following approval from the European Union Agency for Railways, Renfe began training itineraries in January 2025 in preparation for its third international route to Toulouse. With this expansion, Renfe will operate six daily AVE services, linking 17 cities in Spain and France.
Many of the current routes previously required road or air travel. This expansion therefore supports Renfe’s commitment to enhancing sustainable, cross-border mobility in line with the European single rail area initiative.
