Perpignan–Barcelona high-speed rail line
[3][4] During the mid 1990s, both France and Spain resolved to build a high speed crossing of the Pyrenees mountains that separate the two countries; such a line was forecast to secure a 30 per cent share of the land transport market, and be of particular importance to freight movements.[5] The line uses standard gauge track and 25 kV AC railway electrification at 50 Hz, consistent with the French LGV and Spanish AVE high-speed rail networks.[6] During 2014, the concessionaire's financial situation deteriorated the collected tolls being insufficient to repay its creditors the sum of €500 million; a liquidation order for TP Ferro was issued two years later.Between the nations of France and Spain lies a natural barrier in the form of the Pyrenees mountain range, a geographic feature has been a historic challenge to cross-border traffic.Railway planners proposed two different cross-border high speed rail lines traversing the Pyrenees; the Figueras-Perpignan route towards the Mediterranean being one while the other, between Dax and Vitoria, was closer to the Atlantic.[9] During 1992, the governments of France and Spain began to discuss options for improving cross-border connectivity via the creation of a new international railway between the two countries to accommodate high volume of traffic that had been projected.[7] On 10 October 1995, both governments signed the Madrid agreement, formally declaring their intention to build a double tracked standard gauge high speed line through the Pyrenees between Perpignan (France) and Figueras (Spain).[12] From the onset, the construction timeline was particularly stringent, although considerable planning had been completed beforehand; this hastiness was politically driven, partially due to the either nation being obligated to pay an indemnity to the concessionaire for failures that resulted in the project overrunning its established opening date.[7] The financing arrangements were particularly complex, incorporating a public–private partnership (PPP), the involvement of 18 banks, and a €540 million subsidy; however, there were no minimum usage or similar such guarantees imposed on either SNCF and Renfe or the two governments.The track on the new line is standard gauge using 25 kV AC railway electrification at 50 Hz, consistent with the French LGV and Spanish AVE high-speed rail networks.Another same-gauge connection to France is planned near the Atlantic coast in the Basque country, and a third link via Huesca crossing the central Pyrenees mountains through a 40 kilometres (25 mi) tunnel is under study.[2] The Spanish 131-kilometre (81.4 mi) Barcelona–Figueres section was originally planned to open in 2009, however, delays were encountered during the building of a 4-kilometre tunnel in Girona, the first phase of which was finished in September 2010,[29] as well as controversy over the route between Sants and Sagrera stations in Barcelona.In February 2022 SNCF announced the break up of the company Elipsos and since then the French operator relaunched its high-speed service between Paris and Barcelona on its own under the TGV inOui brand with the timetable change in December 2022.[48] A 25-year Public–Private Partnership agreement was signed in June 2012, construction works completed in December 2017 and the first passenger services to Montpellier Sud de France station commenced on 7 July 2018.
Figueres–Vilafant railway stationSNCF RéseauLanguedoc-RoussillonCataloniaGare de PerpignanBarcelona Sants railway stationHigh-speed railFranceAlta Velocidad EspañolaSNCF TGV DuplexAVE Class 100Renfe Class 252Double trackTrack gaugestandard gaugeElectrification25 kV 50 HzSignallingERTMS level 2Madrid–Barcelona AVEZaragozaMadridBarcelona SantsBarcelona SagreraBarcelona avoiding linecrossoverGironaBarcelona–Cerbère railwayFigueres–VilafantPerthus TunnelNarbonne–Portbou railwayPortbouPerpignanNarbonne–Portbou railway1.5 kVMontpellier Sud de FranceContournementNîmes – MontpellierMarseilleRoussillonBarcelonaMadrid–Barcelona high-speed rail lineMediterranean CorridorPyreneesEiffageDragados25 kV AC railway electrificationliquidationRailway infrastructure managerscongestionbreak of gaugeMediterraneanVitoriaAtlanticTrans-European Transport NetworkbiddingBouygueslegal actionsubsidyEuropean Unionindemnityshiftspublic–private partnershiptunnel boring machinesinsolventbroad gaugebreak-of-gaugegauge-changing installationsBasque countryHuescaPyrenees mountainsFrenchSpanishSagreraFigueresTGV EuroduplexAVE Renfe 100ToulouseCOVID-19 pandemicTGV inOuiNîmesNîmes–Montpellier bypassLGV MéditerranéeMontpellier Sud de France stationLGV Montpellier–PerpignanHigh-speed rail in SpainStructuraeRailway Gazette InternationalInternational Railway JournalEl PaísAtlantic AxisAntequera–GranadaMadrid–Barcelona–FigueresMadrid-GaliciaMadrid–Castellón/AlicanteMadrid–AsturiasMadrid–MálagaMadrid–SevilleMadrid–ToledoSeville–CádizBasque YMadrid–ExtremaduraLisbon–MadridPorto–Vigo/120 / 121AltariaAlarisOuigo EspañaHigh-speed rail in FranceLGV AtlantiqueLGV Bretagne-Pays de la LoireLGV EstLGV Interconnexion EstLGV NordLGV Rhin-RhôneLGV Rhône-AlpesLGV Sud-EstLGV Sud Europe AtlantiqueLGV Nîmes–MontpellierLGV Lyon–TurinParis – Normandy new lineLGV PicardieLGV Poitiers–LimogesLGV Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurLGV Bordeaux–Toulouse