Who owns SNCF?

SNCF Group now comprises five public limited companies, all wholly owned by the French government. Of these, SNCF Réseau and its SNCF Gares & Connexions subsidiary are responsible for all track and station infrastructure.



SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français) is a state-owned enterprise, meaning it is wholly owned by the French government. In 2020, as part of a major rail reform, SNCF was transformed into a "Société Anonyme" (a public limited company), but its shares are non-transferable and remain 100% in the hands of the French state. The organization is structured as a group, with SNCF SA acting as the parent company for several subsidiaries, including SNCF Voyageurs (which operates the TGV and regional trains) and SNCF Réseau (which manages the actual tracks and infrastructure). While the company is state-owned, it operates with a degree of commercial independence and must compete with other private operators (like Trenitalia or Renfe) that have begun running trains on French high-speed lines due to EU "open access" regulations. The French government provides significant subsidies to SNCF—especially for the maintenance of the vast rail network—but the company is also tasked with reducing its massive debt and modernizing its fleet to meet the "ecological planning" goals set for 2030 and 2040.

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The SNCF (Société nationale des chemins de fer français; “National Society of French railways” or “French National Railway Corporation”) is France's national state-owned railway company and manages the rail traffic in France and the Principality of Monaco.

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TGV is SNCF's high-speed rail service. Carrying passengers across France on trains exceeding 300kmh, TGV train has become one of the most popular modes of transport for travelling around the country.

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SNCF operates almost all of France's railway traffic, including the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse, meaning high-speed train). In the 1970s, the SNCF began the TGV high-speed train program with the intention of creating the world's fastest railway network.

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SNCF is the only company offering national rail transportation because it enjoys a legal monopoly. There are two types of trains: HS trains (TGV) and “normal speed” trains (Intercités or IC). TGV can use both HS and normal tracks, when IC can only use normal tracks.

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OUIGO is a low-cost rail service company established in 2013 as part of the SNCF group. Unlike the TGV INOUI service, OUIGO trains only have one class, which is equivalent to second-class travel. This is why OUIGO tickets are so cheap - from €10 for adults (depending on the destination) and €5 for children.

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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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This involved a reduction of $35 billion in the company's debt. The public authorities completed this debt repayment process in 2022 – the debt now stands at €24.4 billion, compared to €60.2 billion in 2019 – by taking over the last scheduled €10 billion.

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number one the l-0 series maglev. the crown for the fastest training commercial service goes to the l-0 series maglev in Japan the train was developed for the central Japan Railway company or the Jr Central for short and boasts the top speed. of 375 miles per hour like most of the fastest trains in the world.

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Most long distance trains have a restaurant café where you can buy snacks or a meal for your journey but if you do not feel for train food you can of course bring your own, even a bottle of wine if you want to really be in keeping with the French, as there are of course no rules against drinking wine and eating cheese ...

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