Spain-France Trains 2026: What Changes in Border Railway Zones and What Operators Must Review

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If your company operates trains between Spain and France, or manages infrastructure at any of the four border crossings, this amendment directly affects you. The update to Annex I of the bilateral Spanish-French agreement, signed on July 17, 2026 in Madrid and Amiens, redefines with technical precision up to which exact point of each border station the certificates and authorizations of railway operators are valid.

The regulatory reference is the amendment to Annex I of the Agreement between the National Safety Authorities (NSA) of France and Spain, published in the BOE on October 22, 2026, based on EU Regulations 2018/545 (on railway interoperability) and 2018/763 (on railway safety).

What does this regulation establish?

The bilateral agreement between Spain and France on cross-border railway safety already existed previously. What is being modified now is its Annex I, which contains the technical definition of border sections: that is, the specific track sections at each station where the certificates and authorizations of an operator are recognized by both countries.

This precision is not a minor detail. It determines, track by track and point by point, the extent of validity of:

• The Single Safety Certificate (SSC): authorization that allows a railway operator to circulate on the network of a Member State.
• The Authorization for Placing in Service of rolling stock (APM): authorization that validates that a specific railway vehicle can circulate on a determined infrastructure.

The four border crossings with updated sections are:

The update delimits with precision the specific tracks at each station where authorizations are applicable. This means that the previous definition of Annex I is entirely replaced by the new technical wording.

Economic and operational impact

The impact is not of a direct sanctioning type nor does it imply new fees. The operational risk is more subtle but equally relevant: operating with authorizations that do not cover the exact updated section is equivalent to operating without adequate regulatory coverage, which can lead to:

• Service suspension by the railway safety authorities of either country.
• Need to process new authorizations or expand the geographic scope of existing ones.
• Delays in launching new cross-border lines or services that have not considered the new delimitation.
• Costs for technical and legal review of current authorization files.

For infrastructure managers (such as ADIF in Spain and SNCF Réseau in France), the update may involve reviewing track use agreements at border stations and updating technical documentation of affected sections.

Who does it affect?

• Cross-border railway operators Spain-France: any company operating passenger or freight services between both countries through the four mentioned border crossings.
• Infrastructure managers: ADIF (Spain) and SNCF Réseau (France), responsible for managing tracks at border stations.
• Companies with rolling stock authorized to operate on cross-border sections: must verify that their current APM covers the exact sections according to the new delimitation.
• Legal and technical advisors in the railway sector: who manage authorization files with the European Union Agency for Railways (EUAR) or national NSAs.
• New entrants processing authorizations to operate cross-border services: must base their applications on the new Annex I delimitation.

Practical example

A private railway operator providing passenger services between Barcelona and Lyon uses the Portbou-Cerbère border crossing. Its Single Safety Certificate (SSC) was issued based on the previous delimitation of Annex I, which defined the scope of the border section up to a certain kilometer point at Portbou station.

With the new wording of Annex I, the technical delimitation of that section is updated: the specific tracks included or excluded may vary. If the operator does not review whether its current SSC covers the exact sections according to the new definition, it could be operating on tracks that technically fall outside the scope of its current authorization.

The correct action is to compare the new technical delimitation of Annex I with the geographic scope of its current authorizations and, if there is a discrepancy, initiate the modification procedure with the EUAR or the corresponding NSA before it is detected in an inspection.

What should companies do now?

1. Locate and read the new Annex I: Access the full text published in the BOE (BOE-A-2026-21945) and identify the new technical delimitation of border sections affecting your operations.
2. Review current SSCs: Compare the geographic scope of your Single Safety Certificates with the new definition of border sections at the crossings you use (Cerbère-Portbou, Latour-de-Carol-Puigcerdà, Hendaya-Irún or Perpignan-Figueres).
3. Review rolling stock APM: Verify that the Authorization for Placing in Service of each vehicle covers the exact sections according to the new delimitation.
4. Coordinate with the infrastructure manager: Contact ADIF or SNCF Réseau to confirm that the technical documentation of border stations is updated and aligned with the new Annex I.
5. Initiate modifications if there are discrepancies: If it is detected that current authorizations do not cover the updated sections, initiate the modification procedure with the European Union Agency for Railways (EUAR) or the corresponding national NSA without delay, given that the regulation has been in force since July 17, 2026.

Official source

Consult complete regulation at official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-21945