Réseau Ferré de France

Réseau ferré de France
Company typestate-owned company
IndustryInfrastructure & Tracks Proprietor, State Administrator
PredecessorSNCF
Founded13 February 1997
DefunctDecember 31, 2014 (2014-12-31)
SuccessorSNCF Réseau
Headquarters
92, avenue de France
75013 Paris
,
Area served
France
ParentMinistère du Transport

Réseau ferré de France (French pronunciation: [ʁezo fɛʁe fʁɑ̃s], lit.'French Rail Network', abbr. RFF) was a French company which owned and maintained the French national railway network from 1997 to 2014. The company was formed with the rail assets of SNCF in 1997. Afterwards, the trains were operated by the SNCF, the national railway company, but due to European Union Directive 91/440, the Government of France was required to separate train operations from the railway infrastructure. On 1 January 2015, RFF became SNCF Réseau, the operational assets of SNCF became SNCF Mobilités, and both groups were placed under the control of SNCF.

Unlike other infrastructure managers, RFF did not provide maintenance services or rail traffic control operations, which were both done by SNCF Infra on RFF's behalf. Furthermore, SNCF retained the ownership of stations. In September 2013, RFF had over €32 billion of debt.