Almost 200 people gathered in Canfranc, Spain, to call for the reopening of the cross-border line leading to Pau, France, closed since 1970. The line would bring significant benefits to rail freight, but lack of commitment from Paris means it might remain closed until 2035.
The protest took place on Sunday 19 July and was led by the national committees for the reopening of the Pau-Canfranc line, CREFCO and CRÉLOCand saw the participation of the mayor of Canfranc. It came in response to the delay for the works to reactivate the French section Bedous-Canfranc of the line to 2035, according to Spanish publication El Periodico de Aragon.
On the other hand, Spain is working to reopen its side of the railway all the way to the Somport Tunnel, which connects the two countries across the Pyrenees. Most of the work, however, is needed in France. The cross-border line closed due to an accident on the French side, which has been abandoned for over 55 years.
Freight demand exist
For rail freight, the line would provide another border crossing between France and Spain. Currently, most of the traffic is handled through the Perthus line, which links Barcelona to Perpignan and the rest of France. The reopening of the Pau-Canfranc railway would create a better international connection for Zaragoza, one of Spain’s main logistics hubs.
Recently, an initiative highlighted that there is demand to use a rail freight connection through the Pyrenees. A little over a year ago, three companies came together to run a pilot for the transport of grain, using trucks only for the cross-border stretch where there is no railway infrastructure.
