Formerly | VFLI |
---|---|
Founded | 1998 |
Headquarters | , France |
Parent | Rail Logistics Europe |
Website | www.vfli.fr www.groupe-vfli.com |
Captrain France, formerly VFLI, is a French freight rail company. It is a subsidiary of SNCF's Rail Logistics Europe. The company was formed in 1998 as a low cost short line and industrial railway operator.
VFLI was established in 1998 by SNCF to operate as a low cost operation,[1] initially the company took over the operations of two industrial railway systems: Voies Ferrées des Landes (VFL) and Mines Dominiales de Potasse d'Alsace.[2][3]
In 2000 the company began a joint venture with Compagnie des chemins de fer départementaux (CFD) named Voies Ferrées du Morvan to operate the 87 km Avallon-Autun railway line,[1] and in 2001 took over operations on the Houllières du Bassin de Lorraine (HBL) via a subsidiary 'VFLI Cargo.[1]
Up to 2007 the company was involved in the construction of LGV Est through the subsidiary Fertis.[3][note 1][5]
In 2007, VFLI was certified to run trains on the full extent of the French national railway network owned by Réseau Ferré de France.[6] By 2008 the company was providing services for around forty industrial sites, with clients having included Rhodia, Arkema, Arcelor,[note 2] Renault and Coke de Carling,[3] Ciments français, Lafarge, Elf, Port Edouard Herriot (Lyon), ALZ, Smurfit SCF in Facture and PSA (in Trnava, Slovakia),[7] other contracts included transport of combustion waste from Protires waste processing plant in Strasbourg, work sub-contracted from SNCF and transportation from ports.[3]
In January 2021, VFLI was rebranded Captrain France.[8]
As of 2012 VFLI's operations are in four main areas: main rail freight in France; rail freight operations at industrial sites; rail infrastructure train haulage; and short haul operations including port railways.[9]
Main line freight rail accounted in 2011 for nearly two-thirds of VFLI's turnover, representing a turnover of 67.7 million Euros, compared to 5.4 million Euros in 2007.[10]
In 2010 VFLI owned ~100 diesel locomotives, mostly shunting and short trip locomotives.[1][11] as well as ~800 wagons.[1]
The company also operates rolling stock workshops, carrying out maintenance and refurbishment.[1]