Who are we?

Jean-Jacques D'Angelo

Are you a professional or an enthusiast of railway history in France and want to learn more?

For nearly 20 years, SNCF has had the largest corporate archives service in France. The SNCF Archives and Documentation Service (SARDO) represents the operational memory of the Group and the employees who have contributed to it.

Our archive collection includes not only written documents, manuscripts, or printed materials, but also photographs, posters, and other audiovisual documents. We provide access to our historical and heritage collection and support you in your research projects.

The archives of the SNCF Group are public.

As such, they are communicable to anyone who requests access, in accordance with the provisions of the Heritage Code (Art. L. 213-1 and 213-2).

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The Service Archives and Documentation of the SNCF Group (SARDO), an institution serving railway memory

Access to the archive collections is available to you through the following three SARDO entities: the National Center for Historical Archives in Le Mans (CNAH), the National Center for Personnel Archives in Béziers (CNAP), and the SARDO Media Library in La Plaine Saint-Denis. These institutions preserve a rich historical and heritage collection related to the railway adventure and the transportation of people and goods in France and abroad.

  • The National Center for Historical Archives : 2 Avenue de Bretagne, 72100 Le Mans
  • The National Center for Personnel Archives : Rue du Lieutenant Pasquet, 34500 Béziers
  • The SARDO SNCF Media Library : 5, Rue Francis Pressensé, 93210 Saint-Denis

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Loans of Artworks/Cooperations

SARDO is also regularly approached by museums, chambers of commerce, public and private companies, individuals, and production houses for loans of artworks from its collections. These loans contribute to the enhancement of the collections and contribute to the regional, European, and international influence of the museum. You will find examples in the “Exhibited Memories” section of this website.