Rennes-Toulouse is 10 hours by train, because it transits through Paris. It's 2 hours by plane.

If you're in Paris, you can go anywhere easily. If you're not in Paris, some cities are hard to reach by train.

Looking at timetables, it's actually 7h30 or 6h30 by train (I'm seeing two different itineraries, and I'm not sure where the hour difference comes from). Even then, the Bordeaux-Toulouse link is not full HSR speed, and adds an extra ~2h of travel time because of it. When LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse is built, that should cut off another 2h to a 4h30 trip.

You might theoretically cut off another 1h if there were a more direct Rennes-Bordeaux line, but most of the delay over the plane isn't caused by the detour to Paris but by the quality of the current rail line to Toulouse.

> When LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse is built

For context for US readers, the California High-Speed Rail will probably be completed before the end of the debate on the construction of the LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse.

Maybe it improved since the time I had to do Rennes-Toulouse, which is good (although it should be better). FWIW the SNCF website still says that the average is 10h30, 6h30 being the best.

As per TFA (which apparently nobody read)

> to abolish domestic flights on routes than can be covered by train in under two-and-a-half hours

Thank you. I’ve been commenting a few time that yes. All train go thought Paris first and it’s fucked up. But also it’s not relevant to this particular conversation

I’m acutely aware of that , having grow up in economically devastated country-side where you have to drive 2h to reach the first of those fast train.

It’s infuriating. But oh well, that how the country has been design.

The SNCF metric has got their name for a reason...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_space#SNCF

Add the time it takes to go to the airport, and go through security gates, and all of that and you get more like a 5-6h flight. Also Rennes toulouse 10h by train? I have a hard time believing this.