SNCF will be offering Madrid-Barcelona TGVs from the end of the year, with a version of the low-cost OuiGO offer.
Details of the operation are to be announced on Tuesday.
SNCF exports its TGVs to Spain.
For the first time, the French company will run its high-speed trains abroad.
While it will have to face the opening to competition in France, the railway company must announce Tuesday the details of its arrival, with TGV Madrid-Barcelona at the end of the year.
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Until now, when SNCF TGVs crossed the borders of France, they were partnerships or subsidiaries like with Eurostar and Thalys.
There, the group becomes a full-fledged operator.
In Spain, where travelers will be able to compete initially on the Madrid-Barcelona line, the SNCF will offer a version of ouiGO, its low-cost TGV which works very well in France.
"Aggressive pricing"
This will be the real kick-off for competition in the high-speed market, according to Gilles Dansart, director of Mobilettre and rail specialist.
"The SNCF has chosen to go to Spain with aggressive pricing to try to attract as many Spanish travelers as possible. And so the SNCF will experience this competition first abroad. It will challenge its Spanish counterpart, the RENFE, but also an Italian ", he explains to the microphone of Europe 1." And so Spain will be the first country completely open to high speed. "
A France-Italy-Spain match on Madrid-Barcelona is therefore expected at the end of 2021. The Italian group Trenitalia will instead choose high-end and ultra-speed.
The three operators will also meet in France, on the very profitable Paris-Lyon-Marseille line, with offers there also from next year.