France Reshapes Rail Freight: Hexafret and Technis Take Over as Fret SNCF Dissolves Under EU Pressure

By Eva Richardson | The Logistic News
April 14, 2025

In a sweeping overhaul of France’s national rail freight landscape, Fret SNCF—the country’s historic state-owned rail freight carrier—has officially been dissolved as of January 1, 2025, making way for two new entities: Hexafret and Technis. The restructuring follows a ruling by the European Commission, which found that €5.3 billion in state aid provided to Fret SNCF between 2007 and 2019 violated EU competition rules.

This move not only marks the end of a legacy operator but also signals a new era of rail freight liberalization in France, with broader implications for the European logistics ecosystem.

From Monopoly to Market-Driven Model

As part of the settlement with Brussels, France was required to dismantle Fret SNCF and transfer select profitable freight contracts to other operators. The result is a strategic split:

• Hexafret, now positioned as the country’s new flagship freight rail company, has inherited a workforce of 4,000 and will operate more than 1,000 weekly services across France and Europe.

• Technis, a maintenance-focused entity, takes over 12 workshops and 500 employees, responsible for locomotive and rolling stock services, not only for Hexafret but also for third-party operators.

Both companies are integrated into Rail Logistics Europe (RLE), SNCF’s freight and logistics division, alongside brands like Captrain, Naviland Cargo, and VIIA. RLE is expected to generate close to €1.9 billion in revenue by the end of 2025, with Hexafret and Technis contributing approximately €700 million.

“This is not just a name change—it’s a structural shift,” said a transport policy analyst in Paris. “It aligns France with a more open, competitive, and investment-ready rail freight market.”

A Delicate Balancing Act

The breakup has not come without tensions. Fret SNCF’s most profitable routes—23 in total—are being reassigned to competitors by mid-2025, and union representatives have voiced concerns over job security and labor agreements.

Still, the French government has pledged €370 million per year to support the sector during the transition, aimed at maintaining rail’s competitiveness compared to road freight. The new structure is also designed to accelerate modal shift—one of France’s key strategies to decarbonize freight transport.

“Our goal remains unchanged: we want more freight on rail, less on the road,” said a senior official from the Ministry for Ecological Transition. “Hexafret and Technis are designed to deliver on that vision—faster, leaner, and in compliance with EU law.”

Opportunity Amid Disruption

Hexafret’s launch is seen as a chance to reimagine national rail freight service with commercial agility, digital tools, and greater customer responsiveness. Technis, meanwhile, aims to evolve into a multi-client maintenance provider, with ambitions to expand beyond the SNCF ecosystem.

With growing emphasis on sustainability, the restructured network is expected to play a critical role in France’s climate strategy, targeting a 30% increase in rail freight volume by 2030.

Eva Richardson is a senior correspondent at The Logistic News. She reports on European rail infrastructure, policy-driven logistics reform, and sustainability in freight transportation.

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