Paris-Tarbes: INTERCITÉS to provide night service in 2026

For the past two years, the Paris-Tarbes night-time INTERCITÉS trains have only run 5 days out of 7 due to works on the conventional network. To meet the expectations of our organising authority, the French State, some of these trains have been using the Tours-Bordeaux high-speed line (LGV) on Saturdays and Sundays since 22 March 2026.

This unprecedented operation makes it possible to avoid work zones on the classic line, while freeing up the track for night-time work. The result: almost 100 extra trains will be able to run at weekends in 2026, without the need for new equipment. The aim is to leave the tracks free for TGVs once the sun rises. A practical solution for maintaining optimum transport services, even in a constrained environment.

With these changes, INTERCITÉS is reaffirming its commitment to serving the areas it serves, despite the complex nature of the works. The trains concerned will continue to serve all the usual stations: Tarbes, Lourdes, Pau, Orthez, Bayonne, Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse, Dax, Biganos-Facture, Les Aubrais and Paris-Austerlitz.

This solution ensures continuity of service 7 days a week, for the benefit of passengers and the towns and regions through which they travel.

To complete this project, it was necessary to train INTERCITÉS drivers to drive on high-speed lines and to carry out around twenty test runs. Specific incident management scenarios were also validated, with specially trained INTERCITÉS conductors.

This project was made possible by the cooperation of teams from SNCF Voyageurs (INTERCITÉS, TGV, the Equipment Department and the Traction Department), SNCF Réseau, LISEA, the operator of the Tours-Bordeaux high-speed line, MESEA, the line maintainer, Captrain France, and by the financial support of the French government, the TET organising authority.