• The low-cost airline has announced the arrival of a Toulouse-Barcelona route from July 1 with three flights per week.
  • In the midst of an ecological crisis, this new line has created indignation among defenders of ecology but also among elected officials such as Carole Delga, president of the Occitanie Region.
  • The Occitanie Region has approached Catalonia to think about decarbonized transport solutions: TGV, regional trains, Perthus tunnel...

The return of the Toulouse-Barcelona connection by plane via the company Vueling had not been well received. And for good reason, the low-cost airline Vueling plans 3 flights per week from July this year, while the two cities are only 340 kilometers apart.

But Vueling has an unstoppable argument: it will be the only direct line between the two metropolises excluding buses or cars. There is no direct connection by train. The shortest route connecting to Narbonne.

❌ This is the result of the cancellation of the TGV Toulouse-Barcelona line (3 hours of travel time): 3 flights/week, it's a real shame! That @GroupeSNCF and @CBeaune cease their ecological communication on European travel and act to link Occitania and Catalonia. https://t.co/lUApi0g0FV pic.twitter.com/3vRVdsuTX6

— Voie du Midi (@VoieMidi) May 9, 2023

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An argument that Carole Delga, the president of the Occitanie Region and Pere Aragonès, president of Catalonia, would like to dismantle. Together, they aim to strengthen cooperation between the two cross-border regions and in particular rail after the announcement of the airline by Vueling.


What an ecological aberration that there are no more direct trains #Toulouse-#Barcelone.

Here, the SNCF must be an engine and not a brake.

@jpfarandou Mobilized alongside @perearagones to find this link in 3h10, as well as that of #Montpellier in 2h50. https://t.co/zBJwAcUS44

— Carole Delga (@CaroleDelga) May 18, 2023

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Three possibilities highlighted

"Connecting our two regions with carbon-free public transport is a necessity. We are committed to studying sustainable solutions to create more frequent daily rail links between Catalonia and Occitania," said Carole Delga during her meeting with the president of the neighbouring Spanish region.

On the Spanish side, Pere Aragonès announced the end of a viable study on the possible implementation of a train in service level to connect Toulouse in 3h10 through the Perthus tunnel. Catalonia is now looking for funding to carry out this project and no timetable has been announced.

On the Occitanie side, the Region is carrying out the project to connect Toulouse to Barcelona by a regional train via Perpignan and Figeras without transfers, between 4-5 hours.

Finally, the last point concerns the TGV Toulouse-Barcelona. The latter stopped three years ago because the SNCF considered that the journey was not economically viable with one seat out of three occupied. But if Vueling opens a line between the two metropolises, it is because there is a certain interest and that studies have been made to make the project viable, justifies the Region. Carole Delga would like to open the discussion with the SNCF.

In the meantime, Toulouse residents will be able to use the plane, the train to the Narbonne connection, the car or the bus to party on the Ramblas.

  • Journey
  • Toulouse
  • Barcelona
  • Catalonia
  • Transport
  • Energy transition
  • Environment
  • Airplane
  • Train
  • High-speed train
  • Midi-Pyrénées
  • Occitania
  • Haute-Garonne