Goods transportation by the French National Railway (SNCF): The measurement and marketing of reliability

Rail transportation that is timely and dependable can compete with the trucking mode for Just-In-Time (JIT) deliveries. SNCF, the French National Railway, has a number of such offerings that emphasize reliability of freight shipments. We describe several of these SNCF products. They have in common the nature of regularly-scheduled service: planned connections to specific trains at classification yards. We discuss ways that SNCF can measure reliability, monitor it, and market it. Third-party logistics services of the SNCF are summarized, as is marketing research by SNCF to update their product line in goods transportation. We conclude with possibilities for future research.