Connection times in Latour de Carol

  • 28 March 2023
  • 4 replies
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Userlevel 1

I’m looking at taking the route from France to Barcelona via Latour de Carol and noticed a wonderful piece of cross border scheduling. The Toulouse train arrives at 10:26 and the Barcelona train departs one minute earlier at 10:25!! Has anyone taken this morning train and can confirm the Barcelona train does in fact leave without waiting for the Toulouse train? Thanks.


4 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +7

Which date you are looking at for this connection? What’s your source?

This connection is mostly intended for passengers on the sleeper train from Paris. But still, incredibly stupid situation if you come from Toulouse.

Relationship SNCF-Renfe is awful at the moment. I think passengers can’t even take the Renfe train in Latour de Carol, because SNCF refuses to give the Spanish staff acces to their quarters to take their break in between two trips. They have (or had) to take a taxi to the first Spanish station... 🙄

I have no idea if this has been resolved, perhaps anyone else can enlighten you more?

Userlevel 1

The times are from the SNCF app and the Rodalies website.

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +3

I was there a few weeks ago but in the other direction for that reason.

There is no way you should try to make the connection, I would be 99.99% sure the Spanish train would leave before you got to it.

There is an earlier train from Toulouse to Ax-Les-Thermes at 06.47, it has a bus connection to Latour De Carol on Saturday and Sundays only.*

*Except on the random days it doesn’t run.

 

Of the 5 Spanish trains from Latour De Carol, the first is too early for a connection, the next 4 all depart 2-10 minutes before the French train arrives, only the last train at 18.55 has a reasonable connection.

 

https://ter-fiches-horaires.sncf.fr/publish/WEB%20FH11%20TLSE-LATOUR%20PAYSAGE_V3_2023.pdf

 

My guess is that it is SNCFs doing, if the connection isn’t a connection then it can’t be their fault if it is missed.

Whoever is responsible it is sadly the sort of comically anti-customer nonsense you come to expect from these two operators.

Userlevel 1

Travelling on a weekday so the earlier train is no use. That SNCF timetable is mental, they’ve even got a little section proudly displaying the utterly useless connection times to Barcelona. 

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