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Spain sets its sights on a high-speed train to Paris
Spain’s main rail company Renfe wants to create a subsidiary in France
Spain’s leading rail operator, Renfe, is moving full steam ahead with plans to create a subsidiary in France, signalling its intentions to tap new markets and expand existing projects in the neighbouring country. Topping the agenda is the keenly anticipated arrival of the AVE high-speed train between Spain and Paris, with insider sources indicating it could happen before the year ends.
The race to the French capital begins with the board of directors agreeing to establish a French branch, aptly named Renfe France. Following internal approval, the proposition heads to the ministries of Transport and Finance, subsequently requiring endorsement from the Delegate Commission for Economic Affairs and the Council of Ministers. Insiders speculate this multi-stage process could be wrapped up sooner rather than later.
The result will be a subsidiary of Renfe, 100% owned by Renfe Proyectos Internacionales, the company that was created a year ago to develop business outside of Spain.
Establishing a French foothold marks a strategic move for Renfe, which already boasts direct high-speed links from Madrid, Zaragoza, Barcelona and Girona to Marseille and Lyon. Further expansion looms in the regions of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie.
However, it won’t all be plain sailing, as regulations and safety rules in France have previously scuppered Renfe’s plans to expand as far as Paris. Spain’s Minister for Transport Óscar Puente has repeatedly complained about navigating bureaucracy and perceived unfairness in contrast to the preferential treatment afforded to French trains traversing Spanish turf.
And Renfe itself has targeted France’s state railway company SNCF and its low-cost subsidiary Ouigo, which has managed to undercut prices ever since its arrival in Spain.
Coincidentally, Ouigo has just announced that it will be launching a new high-speed service between Murcia and Madrid this September, and tickets are already on sale for as little as 9 euros each way.
Also of interest: High-speed train between Portugal and Spain planned for 2034
Image: Óscar Puente
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