Aragón has called on France to specify the funding needed to reopen the international Pau-Canfranc-Zaragoza line, an infrastructure project the region considers strategic for mobility, tourism, employment and freight transport on both sides of the Pyrenees.
Aragón Calls for French Investment to Reopen the Pau-Canfranc-Zaragoza Line
The director general of Transport for the Government of Aragón, David Sánchez Fraile, expressed Aragón’s support in Canfranc for restoring the rail connection and stressed that France must take on the outstanding investments within its territory. Aragón, he said, will work alongside Nouvelle-Aquitaine to promote the reopening, but considers it essential for the French government to finance the necessary work.
Sánchez Fraile also called on the Spanish government to exert “all necessary institutional pressure” to ensure that France moves forward with the pending measures on the other side of the border. Aragón’s position is to turn the reopening of Canfranc into a reality rather than leave it as an aspiration.
The event was attended by the president of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Alain Rousset, along with an Aragón delegation that included, among others, the managing director of the Trans-Pyrenean Foundation, Cristina García, and the managing director of Aragón Logistics Platform, Pedro Sas.
The Canfranc Connection Aims to Strengthen Mobility, Tourism and Freight Transport
The Government of Aragón sees the reopening of the Pau-Canfranc-Zaragoza line as extending beyond the rail sector. The connection would improve economic and social ties between Aragón and Nouvelle-Aquitaine, while also offering a sustainable alternative for passenger and freight transport.
Restoring the corridor is also linked to new opportunities for economic and regional development, with expected benefits for mobility, tourism activity, employment and logistics. For Aragón, the infrastructure is strategic for the region as a whole.
Eight Cross-Border Workshops Bring Together Nearly 150 Participants Ahead of 2027 Public Inquiry
The event held in Canfranc presented the conclusions of a territorial-synergies process linked to the future reopening. The initiative brought together nearly 150 representatives from tourism, employment, higher education, transport, logistics, economic development and local government in eight workshops.
The meetings focused on tourism and culture; living and employment areas; sustainable passenger mobility; and the economy and freight transport. They were held in Huesca and Zaragoza, as well as in Oloron-Sainte-Marie and Pau in Béarn, to identify projects and opportunities linked to the cross-border connection.
The Canfranc event is among the final milestones before the launch of the public-utility inquiry, scheduled for early 2027. Sánchez Fraile described the reopening as a “European, cross-border and strategic” project and reiterated that France must translate its commitments into investment and construction work.
