History catches up with SNCF in California
French rail operator must disclose holocaust role before bidding for new Californian high-speed service
SNCF will have to make “full disclosure” of its role in transporting Jewish prisoners during the Second World War if it is to stand any chance of playing a significant role in a major high-speed rail project linking Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The firm, a prime mover in high-speed rail development since the 1980s, is pitching to run the Californian service, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2020 and is expected to attract investment of US$43 billion.
SNCF and the French state’s role in the deportation of Jews in WW2 has been the subject of a number of court cases in France. In 2006, the state-owned group was convicted over its involvement, but the verdict was overturned on appeal.
SNCF has consistently argued that its actions during the occupation of France were the result of German requisition, adding that its role had been limited to driving trains to the border.
Democrat politician Bob Blumenfield claims that over a period of many years the French state utility has refused to assume responsibility for the transport of Jews to work and concentration camps between 1942 and 1944.
President of SNCF America Denis Douté has made it clear that the group was “in complete favour of transparency, as this has been the policy adopted in France over several decades”.
Blumenfield claims that, in contrast to SNCF, the majority of rail utilities had taken their own reparative initiatives, independent of those of their state shareholders, issuing apologies, taking measures to compensate victims, creating special funds or making some other benevolent response.
The firm, a prime mover in high-speed rail development since the 1980s, is pitching to run the Californian service, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2020 and is expected to attract investment of US$43 billion.
SNCF and the French state’s role in the deportation of Jews in WW2 has been the subject of a number of court cases in France. In 2006, the state-owned group was convicted over its involvement, but the verdict was overturned on appeal.
SNCF has consistently argued that its actions during the occupation of France were the result of German requisition, adding that its role had been limited to driving trains to the border.
Democrat politician Bob Blumenfield claims that over a period of many years the French state utility has refused to assume responsibility for the transport of Jews to work and concentration camps between 1942 and 1944.
President of SNCF America Denis Douté has made it clear that the group was “in complete favour of transparency, as this has been the policy adopted in France over several decades”.
Blumenfield claims that, in contrast to SNCF, the majority of rail utilities had taken their own reparative initiatives, independent of those of their state shareholders, issuing apologies, taking measures to compensate victims, creating special funds or making some other benevolent response.
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