Opening up the rail market to competition

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Since 2001, the European rail network has been gradually opening up to competition, under the impetus of the European Union. Rail operators now have access to all market segments. How do we support them? Who runs on the national rail network today? A review of the implementation of the opening up of the rail market.

A European decision

The development of sustainable mobility requires the development of rail transport. The Green Deal sets ambitious targets in this area. To achieve them, the European Union has organised the opening up of the rail market on a continental scale and the creation of a single railway area to make trains more accessible and more numerous. 

The stages in opening up the market

The European strategy for developing rail
Passage d'un train sur un aqueduc

A new horizon for French rail

The aim of opening up the rail market is to improve the services offer to make rail more attractive and thus reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. This is an opportunity for all customers and regions.

  • + services

    And choice for passengers, with several possible operators for the same line.

  • + opportunities

    The Regions are rethinking the service of their region in favour of rail mobility.

  • + investments

    More services means more revenue reinvested in modernising the network.

  • + sustainable mobility

    Opening up the market is a lever for doubling the modal share of rail within 10 years for passengers and goods.

New operators on the French rail network

The national rail network has been open to competition since 2005 for freight and since 2020 for passenger transport. The law of 27 June 2018 for a New Rail Pact provides for a differentiated opening up to competition depending on the services.

Passenger transport on freely organised services

In 2025, several railway undertakings are operating on high-speed lines or conventional lines, for which the service is freely organised:

  • Trenitalia France has been running its trains on the Paris-Lyon-Milan high-speed line since December 2021. The Italian operator also experimented with a new seasonal tourist train linking Nice to Milan during August 2024. 
  • Renfe Viajeros launched in July 2023 on the Lyon-Barcelona and Marseille-Madrid lines 
  • SNCF Voyageurs and its subsidiaries operate on historic lines, but also on new routes (for example, with Ouigo Trains Classiques on the Paris-Nantes and Paris-Rennes conventional lines since 2022, or with SNCF Voyages Italia between Modane and Chambéry on a high-speed line since 2024).   

Innovative, proactive services to welcome new operators

The arrival of a new railway undertaking on the French rail network takes 2 to 8 years to prepare. From the construction of its transport project to the putting into service of its first trains, SNCF Réseau is with it every step of the way to facilitate its arrival.

Made-to-measure support

We support each customer, according to their needs and specific requirements, in all aspects of their entry on the network.

  • Definition of the transport offer (routes, frequencies, etc.) and the timetable for arrival on the network 
  • Contractual and commercial formalities: negotiated pricing, presentation of the service offer, study or training proposals, etc. 
  • Explanation and support in starting up operations: crisis management, information on our structuring programmes, etc. 

In the context of regulated transport, we offer specific support to Mobility Organising Authorities in preparing and monitoring invitations to tender. At the end of this procedure, we facilitate the arrival on the network of the selected operators.  

Our services offer

Guarantees of independence and fairness

A number of measures are in place to ensure that our decisions are impartial and fair to all our customers.

  • SNCF Réseau's independence vis-à-vis other companies in the SNCF Group is guaranteed by a legal, administrative and practical framework, ratified by the 2018 rail pact. The compliance system is strengthened by the creation, in 2025, of the Business Ethics Committee.
  • The Network Statement of the National Rail Network sets out all the practical, technical, administrative and pricing arrangements related to using the network. It is updated each year in consultation with stakeholders (railway undertakings, mobility organising authorities, etc.) and is subject to control by the Autorité de Régulation des Transports (ART).  
  • SNCF Réseau's Code of Good Conduct is based on the transparency of exchanges with our customers (under the control of the ART), the fairness and non-discrimination of our decisions and respect for the confidentiality of our customers' data. 

Toll prices

SNCF Réseau proposes pricing over a 3-year cycle which, after consultation with the parties, is submitted to the regulator for an opinion. The regulator's role is to ensure that it complies with the regulations in force, is fair and sustainable, and promotes the development of the offer. To support the development of new offers, we have been offering various incentives for a number of years: in particular, for freely organised passenger transport services, development aid or negotiated pricing that results in a temporary reduction in the Market Fee. These pricing mechanisms encourage operators to test new offers and provide financial support to help them become sustainable.

We support customers and regions at every stage

We support customers and regions at every stage 

In synergy with our subsidiary SNCF Gares & Connexions, we provide all operators with simple, fluid and fair access to stations and the rail network. Our key account managers offer railway undertakings personalised support throughout the process. In the regions, it is a local sales manager who provides expertise to the organising authority, from its opening strategy to the launch of its invitations to tender.   

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