Captrain France

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 approximately 100 diesel locomotives, mostly shunting and short trip locomotives,^[1][11] as well as about 800 wagons.^[1]

The company also operates rolling stock workshops, carrying out maintenance and refurbishment.^[1]