France’s state-owned railway group and national rail operator, providing high-speed, regional, intercity, freight, infrastructure and international rail services.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
SNCF, short for Société nationale des chemins de fer français, is France’s state-owned railway company and the principal rail transport group in the country. It became operational on 1 January 1938 after the French government, the major private railway companies and railway labor organizations agreed to consolidate the national rail system. The founding arrangement brought together the Eastern, Northern, State, Paris–Lyon–Mediterranean, Paris–Orléans–Midi and Alsace–Lorraine railway systems, along with the Paris belt railways. The French state initially held 51 percent of the company, while the remaining shares were held by interests connected with the predecessor railway companies. SNCF became wholly state-owned in 1983. The company’s best-known activity is passenger rail, especially the TGV high-speed network. SNCF introduced the TGV program in the 1970s as a national strategy for fast rail travel, and inaugurated the first commercial TGV service between Paris and Lyon in 1981 after completion of the LGV Sud-Est high-speed line. TGV services later expanded across France and into neighboring countries, helping establish French high-speed rail as one of Europe’s most recognizable transport brands. A specially configured TGV reached 574.8 km/h during a 2007 test, setting a world record for conventional railway trains. SNCF’s passenger portfolio includes premium and standard TGV services, the lower-cost Ouigo high-speed brand, Intercités intercity trains, and regional TER services. SNCF also sells rail tickets through SNCF Connect, formerly operated under names including Voyages-sncf.com and Oui.sncf. Its services connect major French cities, airports and regional centers, and it participates in cross-border services and partnerships. Through its logistics and freight businesses, the group transports goods and provides rail-related supply-chain services. The contemporary SNCF Group is organized around specialized activities. SNCF Voyageurs manages passenger services; SNCF Réseau manages much of France’s rail infrastructure and traffic-management functions; Rail Logistics Europe covers freight and logistics; and SNCF Gares & Connexions manages stations. The group also has international engineering, consulting, operations and maintenance activities. Its expertise has been used in projects and training programs in countries including Israel, Taiwan, South Korea, Spain and Morocco. SNCF participated in the development and operation of Morocco’s Al Boraq high-speed service. SNCF operates nearly all French rail traffic and maintains a network of roughly 35,000 route-kilometers, including approximately 2,600 kilometers of high-speed lines, although reported network totals vary by organizational period and measurement method. Its activities include the operation and maintenance of trains, track, signaling, stations, rolling stock and electrical systems. The group’s public role gives it strategic importance in French mobility policy, while its commercial businesses expose it to competition, regulation, labor negotiations, infrastructure investment constraints and changing passenger demand. SNCF’s history also includes difficult wartime and institutional legacies. During the German occupation in the Second World War, the railway was requisitioned to move military equipment and people. SNCF employees participated in resistance activity, while the railway system was also used in the deportation of Jews and other victims to Nazi camps under German and Vichy authority. The company’s wartime role has been examined by historians, investigated in legal proceedings and addressed through compensation arrangements, including a 2014 agreement concerning Holocaust survivors in the United States. Today SNCF remains an active, internationally recognized state-owned rail group. Its identity combines public-service responsibilities, a technologically prominent high-speed operation, regional transport coverage, freight and logistics capabilities, i…
History
SNCF was created in 1938 through the consolidation and partial nationalization of France’s principal railway companies. The founding system combined the Eastern, Northern, State, Paris–Lyon–Mediterranean, Paris–Orléans–Midi and Alsace–Lorraine railways, together with the Paris belt lines. The state held a majority stake at first, while private interests associated with the former companies retained the balance. In 1983, SNCF became entirely state-owned. During the Second World War, the railway system operated under the constraints of German occupation and Vichy administration. Rail assets were requisitioned for military transportation, and the network was damaged by military action and sabotage. At the same time, many SNCF employees engaged in resistance activities, including through the Résistance-Fer movement. Numerous railway workers were killed, deported or imprisoned. The company was also compelled to participate in transports associated with the deportation of Jews and other victims to Nazi extermination camps. Its wartime conduct became the subject of historical research, public controversy and litigation. A company-commissioned historical study was published in 1996, and compensation arrangements were later reached in the United States. After the war, SNCF helped rebuild and modernize France’s rail system. From the 1970s it developed the TGV program, which combined dedicated high-speed infrastructure with purpose-built trainsets. The first commercial TGV service began in 1981 between Paris and Lyon. Expansion of high-speed lines progressively connected the capital with major French regions and later supported international services. TGV technology and operating know-how also became part of SNCF’s international business. From the 1990s onward, regional rail became more decentralized. SNCF sold or supplied trains to regional authorities and operated services under the TER brand. The group also broadened its activities beyond train operation into freight, logistics, station management, infrastructure maintenance, rail consulting and overseas projects. Its international work included technical assistance in Israel, high-speed rail training and control-center support in Taiwan, electrification and operational advice in South Korea, signaling work in Spain, and assistance with Morocco’s high-speed Al Boraq service. SNCF’s corporate structure was revised several times in response to European rail liberalization and French institutional reforms. In 2015, Réseau Ferré de France was combined with SNCF’s infrastructure and traffic-management functions to form SNCF Réseau, while operating activities were organized in SNCF Mobilités. A further reform created a unified state-owned SNCF Group structure from 2020, with separate entities focused on passenger services, infrastructure, stations and freight logistics. The company has also pursued international commercial opportunities. It participated in bids for British rail franchises and considered a role in California’s proposed high-speed rail project, but withdrew from the California effort in 2011. It subsequently contributed expertise to Morocco’s high-speed rail development. SNCF’s passenger-facing digital business evolved from Voyages-sncf.com and Oui.sncf into SNCF Connect. SNCF continues to operate high-speed, regional, intercity and freight services while maintaining infrastructure and stations. Its recent history has included challenges involving capacity, platform compatibility, industrial relations, public financing, competition and security. The July 2024 sabotage attacks, which disrupted high-speed routes shortly before the Olympic Games opening ceremony, highlighted the strategic vulnerability of the national rail network. SNCF remains one of France’s most important public enterprises and a major European rail operator.
- 2025
Satellite connectivity tender is planned
[5]SNCF announces plans to tender for satellite internet technology for trains.
- 2025
RER train deliveries are suspended
[5]Transilien SNCF Voyageurs pauses deliveries of new Alstom RER trains over reported reliability and manufacturing-quality problems.
- 2024
Coordinated sabotage disrupts high-speed services
[1]Arson attacks affect several French high-speed routes shortly before the Olympic Games opening ceremony.
- 2020
Unified SNCF Group structure takes effect
[1]A revised state-owned group structure organizes passenger, infrastructure, station and logistics activities in separate entities. SNCF Holding and specialized operating companies replace the previous integrated corporate framework.
- 2018
Morocco’s Al Boraq service begins
[1]Morocco launches its Tangier–Casablanca high-speed service with SNCF expertise involved in design, construction and operations.
- 2018
French railway reform is enacted
[9]France adopts a reform package that restructures SNCF and prepares the passenger railway sector for greater competition.
- 2015
SNCF Réseau is established
[1]Infrastructure and traffic-management functions are reorganized under SNCF Réseau, alongside SNCF Mobilités.
- 2011
SNCF withdraws from California high-speed rail effort
[1]SNCF leaves its proposed role in California’s high-speed rail project and turns attention to other international opportunities.
- 2007
TGV V150 speed record
[1]A specially configured TGV reaches 574.8 km/h during a test run, setting a record for conventional railway trains.
- 1983
SNCF becomes wholly state-owned
[1]The French state assumes full ownership of the railway company.
Products and positioning
A national public-transport and rail-infrastructure group positioned around extensive network coverage, high-speed mobility, operational expertise, safety, multimodal connectivity and lower-carbon transportation. A publicly owned, national-scale mobility and infrastructure group combining essential rail services in France with international passenger transport, logistics and public-transit operations.
High-speed passenger rail · 1981
TGV
SNCF’s flagship high-speed rail service, introduced commercially in 1981. TGV trains use France’s dedicated high-speed lines for rapid connections between Paris, major French cities and selected international destinations. The brand is associated with high-speed rail technology, frequent intercity travel and the expansion of French rail connectivity.
Low-cost high-speed passenger rail · 2013
Ouigo
A lower-cost high-speed rail offering created to broaden access to TGV-style travel. Ouigo services use simplified service concepts and selected routes or stations to support lower fares while operating within SNCF’s high-speed rail ecosystem. SNCF's low-cost high-speed rail proposition, designed to make selected intercity routes more price competitive. It uses simplified service formats and differentiated fare conditions while operating on parts of the high-speed network.
Intercity passenger rail
Intercités
SNCF’s conventional intercity service for routes that are not primarily served by the TGV network. Intercités connects French cities using conventional rail infrastructure and complements high-speed and regional services.
Regional passenger rail · 1990
TER
The Train Express Régional network provides regional rail services across France. SNCF operates these services in cooperation with regional authorities, which participate in defining service levels, routes and rolling-stock requirements. Regional rail services operated by SNCF Voyageurs in cooperation with France's regions. TER connects urban centers with smaller communities and supports daily commuting, education, employment and regional mobility.
Digital ticketing and travel platform · 2022
SNCF Connect
SNCF’s consumer booking and travel-information platform. It evolved from earlier SNCF online ticketing brands, including Voyages-sncf.com and Oui.sncf, and supports the sale and management of rail journeys. SNCF's digital travel platform for journey planning, timetable information and ticket purchasing. It brings together customer-facing functions for multiple SNCF passenger services and supports mobile travel management.
Rail infrastructure · 2015
SNCF Réseau
The group entity responsible for major French rail infrastructure functions, including network management, traffic coordination, track, signaling and related assets. It is central to maintaining and developing the national railway system used by passenger and freight operators. The infrastructure company responsible for managing, maintaining and developing France's national rail network. Its responsibilities include traffic capacity, track and systems maintenance, network investment and access arrangements for train operators.
Rail freight and logistics
Rail Logistics Europe
SNCF Group’s freight and logistics activity, covering rail freight operations and related supply-chain services in France and international markets.
High-speed passenger rail · 1981
TGV INOUI
SNCF's premium domestic and selected international high-speed service, linking major French cities with frequent electric train operations. It is positioned around speed, reserved seating and a fuller onboard service proposition than the group's low-cost OUIGO offer.
Suburban passenger rail · 1999
Transilien
The SNCF passenger-rail network serving the Île-de-France region. Transilien includes suburban train services and participates in the operation and modernization of the Paris-area commuter system, including RER rolling-stock programs.
Logistics and freight · 1995
Geodis
A major SNCF Group logistics subsidiary providing freight forwarding, contract logistics, distribution and supply-chain services in international markets. It extends the group's business beyond rail into broader multimodal logistics.
Public transport operations
Keolis
An SNCF Group public-transport business operating urban, suburban and regional mobility networks. Its activities can include bus, rail, tram and other public-transport modes under contracts in France and international markets.
Controversies
2024
Coordinated railway sabotage before the Paris Olympics
Arson and sabotage attacks damaged or disrupted several high-speed rail routes shortly before the Olympic opening ceremony. The incident affected domestic and international services and caused extensive travel disruption.
2014
Compensation agreement concerning Holocaust survivors
SNCF agreed to a compensation arrangement of up to 60 million US dollars concerning Holocaust survivors transported during the Second World War.
1940
SNCF operations during the Holocaust deportations
Under German occupation and Vichy authority, SNCF was requisitioned to provide rail transportation used in the deportation of Jews and other Holocaust victims. The company’s degree of responsibility and room for maneuver has been debated by historians and litigants. The issue led to sustained public controversy, historical research and compensation proceedings.
Brand decisions
2025
Suspension of selected RER train deliveriesOtherBackground
Transilien SNCF Voyageurs reported high failure rates and manufacturing-quality concerns involving new RER trains supplied by Alstom.
Action taken
SNCF suspended further deliveries while the quality and reliability issues were addressed.
Aftermath
The decision intensified scrutiny of the rolling-stock procurement and delivery process; the supplied material does not establish the final resolution.
2025
Planned satellite internet tender for trainsProduct launchBackground
Passenger demand for reliable onboard connectivity has encouraged European railway operators to consider satellite-based systems.
Action taken
SNCF announced plans to launch a tender for satellite internet technology on its trains.
Aftermath
The procurement outcome and deployment timetable were not established in the supplied reporting.
2020
Reorganization as a unified SNCF GroupStrategyBackground
The company required a structure suited to France’s modern rail governance framework and the separation of different rail businesses.
Action taken
SNCF became the parent of a state-owned group with specialized entities for passenger services, infrastructure, stations and freight logistics.
Aftermath
The reorganization preserved state ownership while creating distinct operating businesses within the group.
2018
Adoption of railway-sector restructuringStrategyBackground
France sought to modernize SNCF's governance, separate infrastructure and operating responsibilities more clearly, and prepare passenger rail for market opening.
Action taken
A reform package was enacted, creating the framework for a holding-company structure and specialized SNCF entities from 2020.
Aftermath
SNCF became a more differentiated group centered on SNCF Holding, SNCF Réseau and SNCF Voyageurs, while remaining state owned.
2015
Creation of SNCF Réseau and SNCF MobilitésStrategyBackground
French rail governance was being reorganized to clarify infrastructure management and train operations.
Action taken
Infrastructure and traffic-management functions were combined in SNCF Réseau, while operating assets were organized under SNCF Mobilités.
Aftermath
The change established a clearer separation of infrastructure and operating activities within the group.
2011
Withdrawal from California high-speed rail proposalStrategyBackground
SNCF had proposed a more direct route for California’s planned high-speed rail system, but political preferences favored a more complex alignment.
Action taken
SNCF withdrew from the project and pursued other international rail opportunities, including work in Morocco.
Aftermath
SNCF later contributed expertise to Morocco’s Al Boraq high-speed service, which began operating in 2018.
1970
Launch of the TGV high-speed rail programStrategyBackground
France sought faster intercity rail travel and a modern national transport system capable of linking major cities efficiently.
Action taken
SNCF developed high-speed train technology and dedicated high-speed infrastructure, leading to the first commercial service in 1981.
Aftermath
The program became the company’s defining passenger offering and supported the growth of high-speed rail in France and Europe.
Recent events
Reported
SNCF completes sale of Ermewa Group[10]
SNCF completed the sale of its 100% stake in wagon-leasing company Ermewa Group to a consortium of CDPQ and DWS. The buyers acquired Ermewa on an equal-share, joint-control basis.
Reported
SNCF offers discounted OUIGO tickets for summer trips[11]
SNCF released 50,000 OUIGO tickets costing no more than €29 as part of a promotion for selected one-way trips in France. The promotion ran through August 22 and applied to travel on August 20–22 and August 27–29.
Reported
SNCF announces TER de France campaign[12]
SNCF announced the TER de France campaign with regional authorities, promoting TER regional passenger services and regional travel. The campaign included plans for discounted tickets, travel passes and tourism-related offers.
Reported
SNCF cancels some summer train services[13]
SNCF said it would remove some trains from service this summer because ticket sales and reservations were insufficient.
Reported
SFR introduces Motorola Solutions broadband push-to-talk service[14]
SFR chose Motorola Solutions to provide a broadband mission-critical push-to-talk solution, which SFR will deliver through its nationwide network. SNCF is the first customer in France to implement the service.
Sources14 sources
- 1SNCFen.wikipedia.org
- 2SNCF official websitesncf.com
- 3SNCF company profilednb.com
- 4SNCF Group profile and history referencegrokipedia.com
- 5Reuters company news: Société Nationale SNCF SAreuters.com
- 6Société nationale SNCF legal and business registry informationpappers.fr
- 7SNCF Group EU Transparency Register profilelobbyfacts.eu
- 8SNCF Euro Medium Term Note programme supplementgroupe-sncf.com
- 9https://www.groupe-sncf.comgroupe-sncf.com
- 10SNCF 完成出售 Ermewa Grouprailwaygazette.com
- 11SNCF推出夏季出行OUIGO折扣车票connexionfrance.com
- 12SNCF announces TER de France campaignrailwaygazette.com
- 13SNCF取消部分夏季列车服务connexionfrance.com
- 14SFR推出摩托罗拉解决方案宽带一键通服务finanznachrichten.de
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