perpignan

Blaze originated in Rousillon reaches Portbou, the northernmost town of Costa Brava

Artur Mas, Carles Puigdemont and Quim Torra "skeptical" of dialogue space with Spain on independence issue

Former president Puigdemont attends rally: 'I set foot in Catalonia after two years in exile'

"The two Catalonias have reencountered," says current head of government in French Catalonia

Former president Puigdemont attends rally: 'I set foot in Catalonia after two years in exile'

Heavy security measures for pro-independence function with exiled former president and ministers

Former Catalan president and ministers will return to "Catalan soil" for first time since 2017

Project carried out by students, with some travelling to Catalonia to better understand situation

Ceret and Perpignan open exhibitions dedicated to the works of the two influential artists

1 million passengers are expected to use the new direct High-Speed Train between Barcelona and Paris within a year. The Spanish Transport Minister Ana Pastor, her French counterpart Fréderic Cuvillier and the Catalan Minister for Planning and Sustainability Santi Vila, have described the High-Speed connection as a “milestone” that will further develop the bond between states and develop their economy. The very first direct train from Barcelona to Paris circulated last Sunday, connecting seventeen cities between the two states. Both Catalan and French ministers have stated they had taken measures to accelerate the construction of the Perpignan-Montpellier section, where trains are still circulating at a regular speed, making journeys significantly longer.

The 143 pictures that won the last World Press Photo contest – the main photojournalism event at international level, which is held each September in Perpignan – will be on show at the Barcelona Centre of Contemporary Culture (CCCB). Among such photographs are many scenes taken at Gaza and Syria along with pictures of sports, nature, social issues and current affairs. Director of the Photographic Social Vision foundation Sylvia Omedes stated the exhibition “was the best opportunity to see the state of the world through the best photos taken in 2012”.  

France will not allow High-Speed Trains from Barcelona to Central and Northern Europe to run at their maximum velocity since it refuses to build the 156 kilometre high-speed railway stretch between Perpignan and Montpellier. This infrastructure has been declared to be one of the European Union’s strategic transport priorities, since it connects the Iberian Peninsula with the rest of the continent via the Mediterranean Railway Corridor. Many years ago, the French Government promised to build this stretch before 2020, an engagement reconfirmed by Sarkozy’s executive. However, the current Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has paused work on the project and delayed it until after 2030.

The Spanish Government has finally finished the construction work and circulation tests on the last 131-kilometre stretch of railroad to France. Barcelona, Girona and Figueres are now linked by High Speed Train, although a direct connection between the Catalan capital and France will have to wait until next April. Now, passengers can travel from Barcelona to Girona in only 37 minutes and to Figueres in a total of 53 minutes. If they want to continue to France, they will have to switch trains until April, when the Spanish trains will be standardised to be able to run in France. However, from now on, the Spanish and the French High Speed railway networks will finally be connected, twenty years after the Madrid-Seville line was unveiled. The Catalan President has emphasised that Catalonia is the Autonomous Community with the smallest amount of public infrastructures in Spain.