Our commitment

For more than thirty years, SNCF has been committed to knowing, acknowledging and passing on its history during the 1939-1945 period. This work rests on four complementary principles: transparency, historical research, memory and education.

This commitment notably led the company to publicly acknowledge its responsibility in the history of the Deportation. In 2011, at Bobigny, Guillaume Pépy, then chairman of SNCF, spoke of the company’s part in transporting the deportation convoys, within the context of the Occupation and the requisitioning of its means of transport. He expressed « SNCF’s profound sorrow and regret for the consequences of the acts of that time », bowing before the victims, the survivors and their descendants.

SNCF continues this work of historical truth today by opening its archives to researchers and the wider public and facilitating access to them. It also contributes to the preservation and accessibility of archival records, as well as to their digitisation and promotion, helping to shed light on the role of the company and the experiences of its employees during the Second World War.

It also works to preserve and pass on the memory of the victims of the Deportation and the Holocaust, as well as that of the railway workers who joined the Resistance. To this end, it supports sites of memory, institutions and associations through research, conservation, commemoration and outreach projects.

Finally, SNCF supports initiatives designed to raise awareness of this history among younger generations, notably through exhibitions, publications and educational initiatives.

Knowing the facts, preserving the sources, acknowledging responsibilities and passing on memories: this is SNCF’s ambition, to keep this history alive and share its lessons with future generations.

Raising awareness and passing on history

SNCF makes its archives available and supports initiatives that help to better know its history. These resources and projects help to keep this memory alive and pass it on.