SNCF facts for kids
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Map of the French railways on which the TGV (LGV: blue; normal tracks: black) and Intercités (grey) SNCF trains run.
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TER PACA service west of Marseille
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| Overview | |
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| Headquarters | Saint-Denis, France |
| Reporting mark | TGV, Intercités, TER, Transilien, Ouigo, Eurostar, TGV Lyria |
| Locale | France |
| Dates of operation | 1938–present |
| Predecessor | Compagnie des chemins de fer du Nord Administration des chemins de fer d'Alsace et de Lorraine Compagnie des chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée Compagnie du chemin de fer de Paris à Orléans Compagnie des chemins de fer du Midi et du Canal latéral à la Garonne Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Est Administration des chemins de fer de l'État |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) and 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) |
| Length | 29,273 km (18,189 mi) |
| Other | |
| Website | www.sncf.com |
| State-owned société anonyme EPIC between 1983 and 2019 |
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| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1 January 1938 |
| Founder | Government of France |
| Headquarters |
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France
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Key people
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Jean-Pierre Farandou (president of SNCF Group) |
| Revenue |  €41.4 billion (2022) |
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Operating income
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€3.3 billion (2022) |
| €2.5 billion (2022) |
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| Total assets | €133.0 billion (2022) |
| Total equity | €27.6 billion (2022) |
| Owner | French state |
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Number of employees
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270,296 (2021) |
| Subsidiaries |
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The Société nationale des chemins de fer français, or SNCF for short, is France's national railway company. It is owned by the French government. SNCF was started in 1938.
The company runs France's national train services. This includes the super-fast TGV trains. SNCF also manages and maintains the railway tracks and signals. The railway network is about 35,000 km (22,000 mi) long. About 2,600 km (1,600 mi) of these are high-speed lines. Every day, SNCF runs around 14,000 trains.
In 2020, the SNCF Group made €30 billion in sales. It has over 275,000 employees around the world. The main office of SNCF Group is in Saint-Denis, near Paris.
Contents
What SNCF Does
High-Speed Trains: The TGV
SNCF operates most of France's train services. This includes the TGV, which stands for Train à Grande Vitesse. This means "high-speed train" in French. In the 1970s, SNCF started the TGV program. Their goal was to create one of the fastest railway networks in the world.
The first TGV line opened in 1981. It connected Paris to Lyon. Today, France has 2,640 km (1,640 mi) of high-speed lines. SNCF carries over 5 million passengers and more than 250,000 tonnes of goods daily. TGV technology is now used in several other European countries.
The SNCF's TGV trains have set many world speed records. On April 3, 2007, a special TGV train called the V150 broke the world speed record. It reached an amazing 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph)! This train had bigger wheels and a stronger engine.
SNCF's TGV system has a very good safety record. After almost 30 years of operation, it has had only one serious accident. This happened during testing, not during a regular passenger trip.
SNCF's Global Work
SNCF also works on railway projects around the world. They help with freight lines, inter-city lines, and commuter lines. SNCF experts offer services like planning, building, and maintaining railways. They also help with logistics.
Here are some examples of their international projects:
- Israel: SNCF helps Israel Railways with train operations. This includes improving safety rules.
- Taiwan: SNCF helped train staff for Taiwan's main high-speed rail line. They trained train drivers and control center staff.
- United Kingdom: SNCF experts checked how tracks and signals were maintained on UK high-speed lines. They suggested ways to improve service and save costs.
- South Korea: SNCF advised Korean Railroads on electrifying tracks. They also helped train over 400 railway managers and engineers.
- Spain: SNCF worked with ADIF (Spain's railway company) on installing a new signaling system. This was for the Madrid-Lleida high-speed line.
- Morocco: SNCF helped design and build the Al Boraq bullet train service. This train runs between Tangier and Casablanca.
In France, SNCF maintains a huge network. This includes 32,000 km (20,000 mi) of track and thousands of signal boxes. They also maintain 3,900 locomotives and 500 high-speed trains. Each TGV train travels over 39,000 km (24,000 mi) every month!
SNCF History
SNCF was created in 1938. This happened when France's main railway companies became nationalized. This means the government took ownership of them.
The companies that joined to form SNCF were:
- Chemins de fer de l'Est (Eastern Railways)
- Chemins de fer de l'État (State Railways)
- Chemins de fer du Nord (Northern Railways)
- Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée (Paris, Lyon and Mediterranean Railways)
- Chemins de fer de Paris à Orléans et du Midi (Paris, Orléans and Southern Railways)
- Administration des chemins de fer d'Alsace et de Lorraine (Alsace-Lorraine Railways)
- Syndicats du Chemin de fer de Grande Ceinture et de Petite Ceinture (Great and Small Belt Railways) in Paris.
At first, the French government owned 51% of SNCF. They invested a lot of money into the railway system. Today, the French government owns 100% of SNCF.
World War II and the Railways
During World War II, from 1940 to 1944, SNCF trains were used by German forces. They transported soldiers and military supplies. Many French railway bridges and tunnels were destroyed during this time.
French railway workers played a role in the French Resistance. They worked to disrupt German operations. A group called Résistance-Fer was formed in 1943. Many SNCF workers were killed or deported for their acts of resistance.
SNCF trains were also used to transport many Jewish people and other victims during the war. This was done under the orders of the German and Vichy authorities. Historians have studied this difficult period. In 2014, SNCF agreed to pay compensation to Holocaust survivors in the United States.
Modern Changes
In the early 2000s, SNCF looked at helping with a high-speed train project in California. However, SNCF later decided to work on a bullet train service in Morocco instead. Morocco's bullet train started service in 2018.
In 2014, SNCF found that 2,000 new trains they ordered were too wide for some platforms. Work began to fix the platforms.
In 2015, some parts of SNCF were reorganized. Réseau ferré de France (RFF) merged with other SNCF units. This created SNCF Réseau, which manages the railway network. The train operations became SNCF Mobilités. Both are controlled by SNCF.
Train Design
From the 1940s to the 1970s, a designer named Paul Arzens styled many of SNCF's locomotives. He created a unique "broken nose" style for some electric and diesel trains.
SNCF and Airlines
SNCF has partnerships with several airlines. This means passengers can book train services along with their flights. For example, you can book a train from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport to cities like Lyon or Marseille when you book your flight. This makes it easier to travel between air and rail.
How SNCF is Organized
Main Office
SNCF's main office has moved a few times. For many years, it was in Paris. Since 2013, the headquarters have been in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris. This move helped the company save money.
SNCF's Main Parts
Since 2020, SNCF is a group of companies. It has a main company (SNCF) and several smaller companies that work on their own.
- SNCF Réseau: This part manages the railway tracks and infrastructure.
- SNCF Gares & Connexions: This is a part of SNCF Réseau. It takes care of maintaining and improving the 3,000 train stations in France.
- SNCF Voyageurs: This company runs the passenger trains in France and Europe. This includes:
- The main TGV inOui service.
- The lower-cost Ouigo TGV service.
- Intercités for traditional long-distance travel.
- TER and Transilien for regional and local services.
- Rail Logistics Europe: This group handles train freight services.
- Fret SNCF: This is for rail freight services.
- Captrain: This is a European rail freight network.
- VIIA: This handles "rolling highway" services, where trucks are carried on trains.
- Geodis: This company handles freight transportation logistics. SNCF owns most of it.
- Keolis: This company runs public transport services in cities worldwide. This includes buses, metros, and light rail.
SNCF has shares in many other companies. Most of these are related to trains or transport. Some examples include:
- Thalys International and Eurostar International: These run international high-speed train services in Europe.
- Lyria: This company operates high-speed trains between France and Switzerland.
- Ouigo España: This runs high-speed trains in Spain.
- SNCF Connect: This is SNCF's online travel agency for booking tickets.
- AREP: This company focuses on architecture and urban design for train stations.
- SYSTRA: This company provides engineering services for public transport.
SNCF's Public Image
Surveys show that many French people have a good view of SNCF. In 2010, 66% of French people had a good image of the company. In 2019, this was 50%. In 2020, SNCF was ranked 23rd among the "most admired French companies."
Safety on trains is very important to SNCF. Around 2,800 railway workers are part of the Railway Security team. They help keep everyone safe.
Experts often compare railway systems in Europe. They rank France's rail system very highly. It is tied for 4th place with Germany, Austria, and Sweden. Switzerland, Denmark, and Finland are ranked higher. This ranking looks at how much the trains are used, how good the service is, and how safe they are.
SNCF's Look and Sound
Logo
SNCF's current logo was designed in 2005. It was updated slightly in 2011. The logo has rounded corners and a clear separation between the letters.
Sound
SNCF also has a special sound logo. It's a short tune with four notes: C – G – A flat – E flat. This sound was created in 2005. The famous guitarist David Gilmour from the band Pink Floyd was inspired by this jingle for a song on his 2015 album. Simone Hérault has been the voice of SNCF announcements since 1981.
SNCF in Movies and TV
SNCF is often featured in movies and TV shows. It is the company that hosts the most film shoots in France. Around 50 to 60 films are shot on SNCF property each year.
Some famous films where SNCF plays a role include:
- Mr. Bean's Holiday
- Mission: Impossible
- The Tourist
- Hugo Cabret
SNCF has also appeared in TV shows like Killing Eve.
See also
In Spanish: SNCF para niños
- History of rail transport in France
- List of SNCF train types
- List of SNCF stations
- Transport in France
