SNCF

SNCF is France’s state-owned railway company, founded in 1938. It operates passenger and freight trains and manages much of the national rail network.

SNCF Réseau: The SNCF subsidiary responsible for managing and maintaining most of France’s national railway network. It separates infrastructure management from train operations within the SNCF group.
TGV: France’s high-speed train service, operated by SNCF Voyageurs. It is SNCF’s best-known service for fast travel between major cities.
Convention of 1937: An agreement between the French state and private railway companies that established the basis for nationalizing rail operations. It provided the legal and financial framework for SNCF’s creation.
French high-speed rail: The system of high-speed railway lines and services developed in France from the 1980s onward. SNCF’s TGV program drove the expansion and public identity of high-speed rail.
RATP: The state-owned operator of much of the public transport network in Paris and its surrounding region. RATP shares public ownership with SNCF but focuses chiefly on urban and suburban transit.
SNCF Voyageurs: The SNCF subsidiary that operates passenger rail services in France and abroad. It runs the trains that form the company’s main public-facing activity.
TER: Regional train services organized by French regions and operated mainly by SNCF Voyageurs. These trains show SNCF’s role in daily and regional mobility.
French railway companies: The private regional railway companies that operated much of France’s rail network before SNCF was formed. Their consolidation created the company’s initial network and organization.
Railway strikes in France: Work stoppages by French railway employees over pay, working conditions, and rail reforms. SNCF’s workforce and service disruptions make rail labor disputes nationally consequential.
Trenitalia: Italy’s principal state-owned passenger rail operator. It is a national rail company that competes with SNCF on some cross-border routes.

Linked from 2 pages

Réseau express régionalRelated: It operates RER services, especially on suburban rail infrastructure beyond central Paris.