The French rail network today

The second largest rail network in Europe

France has the second largest rail network in Europe, in terms of kilometres. The backbone of sustainable mobility, it connects people, living areas and economic zones... With its tremendous potential, the rail network is a strategic asset for the ecological transition and the vitality of the regions.  

Radioscopy of the French rail network

The rail network refers to the tracks, stations, bridges and tunnels and, more broadly, to a complex system made up of numerous infrastructures. Signal boxes, electrical signalling and telecommunications installations, as well as workshops, depots and marshalling yards, all help to keep the trains running.  

Network figures

Network mapsStations management

Its strengths

  • It is extensive: the French rail network covers the whole of the country, from the main routes to the comprehensive coverage lines, offering a mobility service to as many people as possible.  
  • It's practical: every day, the network carries more than 5 million passengers and 300,000 tonnes of freight. 
  • It's environmentally friendly: trains emit 9 times less CO2 than cars over long distances. It also consumes 6 times less energy. 
  • It's safe: the state of the network is monitored every day of the year, making the train one of the safest modes of transport. 

A historic and heterogeneous network

  • Historic , because today's network is the fruit of more than 120 years of investment. Its components have an exceptionally long life cycle: a third of signal boxes still operate with mechanical levers (some dating back to the 1930s), the average age of track is 30 years and some catenary contact wires are over 40 years old. 
  • Heterogeneous , because the network is made up of different types of track and infrastructure, and technologies of all ages (mechanical, electrical, IT). Traffic density also varies enormously: 50% of national traffic is concentrated on 10% of the network (in the Île-de-France region), while 1% of trains run on 20% of the network. 

The complexity of the rail network is linked to its size, the diversity of its heritage and the diversity of the technical systems needed to operate it.

Author : Olivier Bancel, SNCF Réseau Executive Managing Director of Projects, Maintenance, Operations

A network built with our partners

Behind each line, there is a collective working 7 days a week, 24 hours a day to guarantee trains run!  With the support of our industrial partners, we carry out the transformations required to ensure the robustness and performance of rail production. We share our resources and expertise to develop the mobility services designed in partnership with our customers and the regions.  

Network partners

Service quality at the heart of our priorities

To meet the expectations of the 5 million passengers and the operators who run their trains on our lines, we have to deliver the quality of service expected. This starts with the regularity of service, which, although in line with the European average, could be improved. It depends on many factors, such as routine infrastructure maintenance, contingency management and the performance of our operating systems.  

The levers of industrial performance

Our tools and organisations are constantly evolving to improve the performance of network operation and maintenance.

Modernising and standardising our operating systems should make it possible to increase train regularity and frequency. 

A dedicated supply chain department manages nearly 7,000 agents and partners, to ensure optimised logistics for all our worksites. 

Network monitoring is based on new technologies, with data received in real time, enabling us to move from corrective maintenance to predictive maintenance. 

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