President of the Mobilitat Sostenible i Segura Foundation, Pau Noy, published an insightful article advocating for the establishment of a rail shuttle between Barcelona and Paris. His article, titled “Set up a rail shuttle between Barcelona and Paris,” highlights the compelling need for enhanced cross-border train services to meet the high latent demand for rail travel between the two cities. The article is available in both French (“Créer une navette ferroviaire entre Barcelone et Paris”) and Spanish.

In his article, Pau examines the current state of rail connectivity between Barcelona and Paris. Despite significant investments, such as the €3.5 billion spent on the Barcelona-Perpignan high-speed line, only four trains operate daily between the two cities (two in each direction). This limited service fails to meet the potential demand and often forces travellers to opt for more polluting modes of transport like air travel.

Additionally, he attributes the shortfall to a lack of cooperation between the national rail operators, Renfe and SNCF, citing bureaucratic and operational barriers as major hindrances. For instance, he highlights the protracted and restrictive approval processes for Spanish trains entering France, contrasting this with Spain’s relatively open approach to French and Italian train operations.

To address the issues, Pau proposes a rail shuttle model offering 15 to 30 trains daily, including direct services that could cut travel time between Barcelona and Paris to 5 hours. This model, he argues, would better cater to the latent demand, reduce reliance on air travel, and significantly contribute to decarbonizing mobility.

He also stresses that effective cross-border rail cooperation requires political commitment from both the Spanish and French governments. By fostering collaboration between Renfe and SNCF, a robust rail service could become a viable alternative to flying.

This article is a must-read for anyone interested in sustainable transportation and the future of European rail. For the full analysis and proposed solutions, access the article in French or Spanish.