The AVE between Spain and France celebrates its first year with a global total of 620,000 passengers transported on the two routes that link 15 destinations between Madrid and Barcelona and Marseille and Lyon. This international service, which Renfe launched on July 13, 2023, marked the company’s debut as an operator in direct competition in the French market.
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(09/09/2024)
Renfe has put more than 1,300 trains into circulation to connect the 15 stations, creating a competitive network of origins-destinations that in some cases have the AVE as the only direct train.
AVE trains in France operate on two corridors that connect Lyon with Barcelona and Marseille with Madrid, and which partially share their route. On the shared section between Nimes and Barcelona, Renfe offers four AVE trains every day that also serve the intermediate stations of Girona, Figueres, Perpignan, Narbonne and Montpellier. The Lyon AVE train also serves the important French hub of Valence and the Marseille AVE serves the destinations of Avignon and Aix-en-Provence in France and the cities of Tarragona and Zaragoza in Spain.
620,000 passengers
During this first year, Renfe has achieved an average occupancy rate on international routes of 82%. Lyon, Marseille and Montpellier are the French stations with the highest demand, and the most popular routes are those that link these cities with Barcelona, where almost 60% of the demand is concentrated. The longer distance routes are therefore the most popular for travellers on international routes, which allows for better use of these trains.
Renfe has added its nine French destinations to the Renfe Viajes offer, the Renfe tourist package sales agency that allows you to purchase AVE train + hotel + leisure together and has integrated the rich tourist offer of Spanish destinations as a purchase option from any French station on its AVE network.
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