New OUIGO Routes: Lyon–Bordeaux Direct in 2027 and a Wave of Low-Cost Train Lines
TL;DR
- OUIGO will launch a direct Lyon–Bordeaux route by mid-2027 with a travel time of about 5 hours.
- Several existing lines will be expanded from 2025–2026, including Paris–Basque Coast, Paris–Rennes, Paris–Montpellier (via Lyon) and Paris–Lyon.
- Goal: a 3x30 strategy (30% more passengers, train capacity and fleet size by 2030).
- OUIGO is also studying new destinations, including Paris–Strasbourg, Paris–Lille, and other intercity regional links.
- New services: OUIGOSWAP for resale of unused tickets and OUIGOFULL, an all-inclusive bundle of paid options.
OUIGO is accelerating its development to offer more destinations, more trains, and maintain low fares.
Doing Lyon–Bordeaux in five hours without passing through Paris? Soon possible. On Thursday, November 27, 2025, OUIGO announced the launch of a direct Lyon–Bordeaux line by 2027, along with expanded national services, including routes to Brittany, the Basque Coast, Montpellier and Lyon. More trains, more destinations, and the promise of keeping prices low.
Behind these announcements lies a clear ambition: scaling up. OUIGO wants to carry 30% more passengers by 2030 and become a key pillar of high-speed rail in France. As Jérôme Laffon, OUIGO Managing Director (whom we previously welcomed on our podcast), puts it:
“OUIGO franchit la 1ère marche d'une croissance attendue par les Français. Nouveaux matériels, nouvelles dessertes, nouveaux services, c'est un nouveau souffle pour développer la mobilité et permettre à des budgets contraints de bouger ou de lâcher des modes plus polluants.”
A milestone announcement
A 3x30 strategy to scale up
OUIGO has a clear target: reach one-third of the high-speed rail market within SNCF Voyageurs by 2030. To achieve this, the low-cost brand relies on three pillars: expanding train routes, increasing fleet capacity, and continuously improving the customer experience. And the ambition is concrete: +30% traffic, +30% seats, +30% trains in three years.
In his LinkedIn post, Jérôme Laffon summarizes it like this:
“OUIGO s’affirme comme accélérateur de la croissance du train en France et en Europe : en faisant venir au train des clients qui ne pouvaient se permettre de voyager ou qui étaient contraints de se déplacer en car ou en voiture, seuls ou à plusieurs.”
Rail as an affordable option
Today, according to OUIGO, one out of two tickets for high-speed services is sold for under €30, and one out of two OUIGO Train Classique tickets is sold for under €20. Around 80% of customers even consider OUIGO a “shield for their purchasing power.”
New routes: what to remember
2025–2026: expanded routes and new destinations
Starting December 14, 2025:
- A new route will connect Paris to the Basque Coast via Dax, with a daily round trip year-round. It will serve Hendaye, Bayonne, Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz, while adding an additional round-trip to Bordeaux.
- The Paris–Rennes line will gain a third round-trip.
In summer 2026, a third OUIGO high-speed round-trip will be added between Paris and Montpellier via Lyon Saint-Exupéry.
By the end of 2026, OUIGO will expand Paris–Lyon service with a third round-trip operating from Friday to Monday.
2027: the headline announcement — direct Lyon–Bordeaux service
By mid-2027, OUIGO will launch a first-ever direct Lyon–Bordeaux route. It will run one round-trip per day year-round via Massy TGV, Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, Poitiers, and Angoulême, with a total travel time of about five hours.
Jérôme Laffon emphasizes its symbolic importance:
“Un aller-retour Lyon–Bordeaux direct, sans passer par Paris, en 5h. BOUM. Un vrai retour vers le futur pour une offre mythique !”
Projects under review
OUIGO also mentions several possibilities: strengthening Paris–Strasbourg, expanding Paris Gare du Nord–Lille, and connecting other regional metropolitan hubs.
© OUIGO - Map of new routes
More options, more trains, more flexibility
A growing fleet
To support increased demand and destinations, OUIGO plans to grow its fleet from 38 to 50 trainsets by 2027. This includes 40 new, larger and more comfortable trains, plus 10 renovated trainsets.
New services on the way
Several updates are being rolled out or expanded:
- OUIGOSWAP, the official resale platform for unused OUIGO tickets, now deployed across all services.
- OUIGOFULL, an option bundle including all paid extras, including ticket exchange capability.
In the end, with these announcements, OUIGO is no longer just a low-cost alternative: the brand aims to become a structural pillar of France’s high-speed rail network, alongside traditional offers.
Issue du monde de la communication et des médias, Sophie est Responsable éditoriale chez HOURRAIL ! depuis août 2024. Elle est notamment derrière le contenu éditorial du site ainsi que La Locomissive (de l'inspiration voyage bas carbone et des bons plans, un jeudi sur deux, gratuitement dans ta boîte mail !).
Convaincue que les changements d’habitude passent par la transformation de nos imaginaires, elle s’attache à montrer qu’il est possible de voyager autrement, de manière plus consciente, plus lente et plus joyeuse. Son objectif : rendre le slow travel accessible à toutes et tous, à travers des astuces, des décryptages et surtout, de nouveaux récits.
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