SNCF pays charges to RFF, who pays SNCF for managing the network and ensures the servicing of the debt.

10 years of partnership
In 1997, the French railway network became the property of Réseau Ferré de France, but the SNCF continues to manage it. This is the heart of the reform of the French railway system. The 31,000 km of track and associated infrastructure, the bridges and tunnels, were transferred to RFF. In exchange for these holdings, RFF took over part of the debt that was choking SNCF. That is how SNCF came to be a customer of RFF.

A client like any other
Operating on these lines is a bit like the motorways; a 'toll' must be paid to the owner. For the railway, the tariff varies depending on whether the line is high-speed or standard, whether a train is carrying freight or passengers, and travelling by day or by night. The charge is the same for all carriers, whether for the SNCF or a competitor. Moreover, the Government sets the level of charges.

A service provider too
For safety reasons and in order to continue as a public service, RFF assigned the SNCF two roles which it has always fulfilled: operating the network (operating 13,400 trains every day) and maintaining the property. In administrative jargon, we say that SNCF is the manager responsible for infrastructure, and is paid by RFF for this work.
Lately, SNCF has not been the only one involved on the network.
RFF has allowed it to face competition in some markets. Major railway projects, for example, are awarded through tendering, something that was the case for construction of the LGV Est Européenne high-speed line. As regards engineering work, SNCF teams rub shoulders on a daily basis with teams from other construction contractors. Here, too, SNCF must be competitive.