Latour-de-Carol
Latour-de-Carol (Catalan: La Tor de Querol) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Latour-de-Carol
La Tor de Querol | |
---|---|
![]() Railway station | |
![]() Coat of arms | |
Location of Latour-de-Carol ![]() | |
![]() ![]() Latour-de-Carol ![]() ![]() Latour-de-Carol | |
Coordinates: 42°27′57″N 1°53′23″E | |
Country | France |
Region | Occitanie |
Department | Pyrénées-Orientales |
Arrondissement | Prades |
Canton | Les Pyrénées catalanes |
Intercommunality | Pyrénées Cerdagne |
Government | |
• Mayor (2020–2026) | Cécile Houyau[1] |
Area 1 | 12.63 km2 (4.88 sq mi) |
Population (2017-01-01)[2] | 424 |
• Density | 34/km2 (87/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
INSEE/Postal code | 66095 /66760 |
Elevation | 1,209–2,080 m (3,967–6,824 ft) (avg. 1,248 m or 4,094 ft) |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. |
Geography
Localization
Latour-de-Carol is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades.

Transport
The village's main claim to fame is as the site of the international railway station, Gare de Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg (Catalan: La Tor de Querol-Enveig). This station is the terminus of three lines, each with different gauges:
- the Spanish state operator RENFE's 1,668 mm (5 ft 5 21⁄32 in) gauge line running north from Barcelona via Ripoll
- the French state operator SNCF's 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) gauge line running south from Toulouse via Foix
- SNCF's 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge line (known as the Yellow Train) running west from Villefranche-de-Conflent

As the French and Spanish tracks are different gauges, no trains run the whole way from Toulouse to Barcelona. Passengers have to change trains, which are however no longer scheduled to offer direct connections. Occasional freight-trains cross the border and are worked to Puigcerda, where freight is transferred. The double-track line to Puigcerda consists of two separate tracks with different gauges and electrified at different currents.
European route E09 and part of the Route nationale 20 connect Latour-de-Carol with Bourg-Madame (near the border with Spain) and Foix.
Population
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1968 | 359 | — |
1975 | 381 | +0.85% |
1982 | 390 | +0.33% |
1990 | 364 | −0.86% |
1999 | 367 | +0.09% |
2007 | 401 | +1.11% |
2012 | 416 | +0.74% |
2017 | 424 | +0.38% |
Source: INSEE[3] |
References
- "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE