Are trains in France privately owned?

The SNCF, the national state-owned railway company, operates most of the passenger and freight services on the national network managed by its subsidiary SNCF Réseau. France currently operates the second-largest European railway network, with a total of 29,901 kilometres of railway.



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The French state originally took 51% ownership of SNCF and invested large amounts of public subsidies into the system. Today, SNCF is wholly owned by the French state.

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France is famous for its effective network of public transport. It serves the whole country except some very remote rural areas. SNCF (Societe Nationale des Chermins de Fer Francais) is the state-owned company which runs most long-distance trains and other forms of inter-regional transport.

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America's freight railroads are almost entirely privately owned and operated. Unlike trucks and barges, freight railroads operate overwhelmingly on infrastructure they own, build, maintain and pay for themselves.

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U.S. rail infrastructure is divided between privately owned freight and state-owned passenger rail. Freight rail is an integral part of U.S. supply chains, but the country's passenger service falls far behind that of other advanced economies. Proposals to expand high-speed rail have faltered.

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SNCF (Societe Nationale des Chermins de Fer Francais) is the state-owned company which runs most long-distance trains and other forms of inter-regional transport. Local transport in France is handled by various companies, including SNCF, who run buses and local trains.

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The TGV (“train à grande vitesse”) system offers high-speed links from Paris to many regional capitals. French inter-city public transportation doesn't get more efficient than this. Tickets for these trains must be booked in advance and all seats are pre-allocated.

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Freight railroad companies own the majority of the tracks and are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance. Since the passage of the Staggers Act, private railroads have spent over $700 billion to develop the rail network.

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The simple answer is that most railroads in Europe are government owned, while most railroads in America are private.

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Amtrak is a state-owned enterprise. This means that Amtrak is a for-profit company, but that the federal government owns all its preferred stock. Amtrak made $2.4 billion in 2020. Amtrak provides rail service to over 500 destinations in 46 states and three Canadian provinces.

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Bill Gates acquired 54.8 Million Canadian National Railway shares worth $5.94 Billion. That's 15.02% of their entire equity portfolio (3rd largest holding). The investor owns 8.29% of the outstanding Canadian National Railway stock. The first Canadian National Railway trade was made in Q3 2002.

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