History of SNCF Gares & Connexions
The Law of 8 December 2009 on the organisation and regulation of rail transport created SNCF Gares & Connexions, headed by Sophie Boissard, former Director of Rail Strategy and Regulation. Under her impetus, SNCF Gares & Connexions, working in partnership with local authorities, has set up branches covering all French regions. The range of in-station services and shops was expanded, along with their multimodal dimension. The think-tank on the City and Urban Transports named Les Ateliers de la Gare was also launched.
Rachel Picard, former CEO of Voyages-sncf.com, succeeded her on 7 June 2012. She pursued the initial policy by developing new services such as pianos in stations, Kiala Points (for parcel collection), We-Bike (fixed bikes used to recharge mobile devices), the online app Garantie des Gares... The goal is to reinvent the station as a place to live and enjoy.
On 1 October 2014, Patrick Ropert, formerly Chief Communications Officer for the SNCF Group, was appointed CEO of SNCF Gares & Connexions. In four years, he developed the concept of the "City Booster" station, which is both a profit centre and a new central core in the city.
Claude Solard, formerly Senior Executive VP of SNCF Réseau for Safety, Innovation and Industrial Performance, was appointed interim CEO of SNCF Gares & Connexions on 6 April 2019. He continued the City Booster strategy and was in charge of the conversion of the SNCF’s Gares & Connexions Division into a Société Anonyme on 1 January 2020, combining the station management skills of SNCF Réseau and SNCF Mobilités.
Governance: Key milestones
2009-2013
- Institutional creation of the branch
- Legal and management structure
- Regulated monopoly guarantees
- Institutional emergence
2013-2014
- Marketing development for the branch
- Restructuring of A2C (Retail & Connexions)
- Design of new services
- Integration of ESBEs (Building and Energy Service Establishments)
2014-2020
- Structuring a full-fledged industrial branch
- Industrialisation of services and shops
- Creation of a Key Accounts Department
- Creation of a Regulations Department
2020
- Creation of the SNCF Gares & Connexions subsidiary as a société anonyme on 1 January 2020 in charge of the unified management of stations
- Organisational, decision-making and financial autonomy of SNCF Gares & Connexions S.A. under the new law
- Direct management of operating resources at major stations.
- Establishment of a multi-year contract between the State and SNCF Gares & Connexions setting out a national station management strategy (subject to the opinion of ARAFER)
- Management of large stations or groups of stations monitored by regional consultation committees comprising internal and external representatives.