1,881 kilometres of high-speed track, the largest network in Europe.
With 29,273 kilometres of track open for commercial use in 2009, Réseau Ferré de France is in charge of managing the second largest railway infrastructure in Europe. Tracks, signalling, level crossings… Discover the richness of the French railway network.
a wide-reaching network
Major commercial traffic routes
Thanks to its 29,273 kilometres of track in service, Réseau Ferré de France owns and manages a massive network that runs the length and breadth of the country:
1,884 kilometres of high-speed track, making it the largest high speed network in Europe, of which 300 lines are interoperable,
15,687 kilometres of electrified lines: at 1,500 volts DC (5,863 km),
25,000 volts AC (9,698 km) and by third rail and others (126 km).
electrification of the network
freight and passenger lines combined
network speeds
A nationwide network
We operate 51,217 kilometres of major railway lines and 26,497 main line points and crossovers.
Efficient signalling and safety equipment
We manage the main lines and branches as well as the signal boxes:
1,807 kilometres of track are fitted with TVM cab signalling, a signalling technique specific to high speed lines,
16,262 kilometres of track are fitted with automatic blocks, which are systems used to maintain a constant safe distance between trains. This distance includes:
- 10,672 kilometres of Luminous Automatic Block,
4,956 kilometres of Automatic Block with Limited Permissiveness,
634 kilometres of Automatic Block for Single Lines,
4,666 kilometres of track are fitted with Manual Blocks, another type of system used to maintain safe distances between trains,
1,765 kilometres of single-line track is fitted with a computer-assisted train despatch system,
14,822 kilometres of track are fitted with analogue Train-to-Surface radio,
39 kilometres of track are fitted with GSM-R Train-to-Surface radio, a radio-based telecommunications system using GSM standards,
There are 2,262 signalling boxes, of which 1,245 are electric.
Level crossings of many types
There are 17,351 public level crossings throughout France, of which 1,462 are for pedestrian use only. Of these crossings:
1,767 are guarded,
15,584 are non guarded,
A further 1,108 crossings are private or conceded to third parties.
As part of our permanent focus on modernisation and security, many level crossings are regularly being removed or updated.
modernising level crossings
Major structures along the whole of the track
Without these essential elements, rail traffic would be greatly affected:
1,742 tunnels, spanning a total length of 637 km,
26,733 bridges and viaducts,
22,323 major retaining walls and ripraps (walls for strengthening a steep slope, made from concrete, masonry or reinforced earthworks),
1,142 pedestrian fly-overs.
