The ''Compagnie du chemin de fer de Paris à Orléans'' (, PO) was an early French railway company.
It merged with the '' Chemins de fer du Midi'' to form the '' Chemins de fer de Paris à Orléans et du Midi'' (PO-Midi) in 1934. In 1938 the PO-Midi was nationalized with five other companies to become a part of the ''
Société nationale des chemins de fer français
The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (, , SNCF ) is France's national State-owned enterprise, state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the Rail transport in France, country's national rail traffic along with th ...
'' (SNCF).
History
Beginnings as railway company
The company was founded on 13 August 1838 under the name ''Compagnie du chemin de fer de Paris à Orléans'' (PO). It had the right to form a limited company and was equipped with a starting capital of 40 million francs. In addition, the company had one of the French government's awarded temporary concession of 70 years, to build and operate a railway between the cities of Paris and
Orléans
Orléans (,"Orleans" (US) and Gare d'Austerlitz, the network extended over the territory from the Loire and Garonne to Orléans and Tours. From there, the branches led to Vendôme, Le Mans, the Atlantic coast of Angers, Nantes, St Nazaire to Landerneau, south of Villefranche, Clermont-Ferrand and Toulouse, south-west of Poitiers and Angoulême to Bordeaux.
Network in 1912
Second merger and nationalization
In 1934, ''Compagnie du chemin de fer de Paris à Orléans (PO)'' was merged with the '' Chemin de Fer du Midi'' into '' Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans et du Midi'' (PO-Midi)". After the merger, the new PO-Midi's network was almost .
To create an efficient, uniform and nationwide network under state control, on 1 January 1938, it was nationalized with five other companies to become a part of the newly founded
Société nationale des chemins de fer français
The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (, , SNCF ) is France's national State-owned enterprise, state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the Rail transport in France, country's national rail traffic along with th ...
(SNCF). Then this also took on more rail activities of five other companies.
Legacy
After the Second World War, the banking family Rothschild family took over the remains of the Paris Orléans and transformed it into a
holding company
A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the Security (finance), securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own Share ...
for its banking activities and corporate investments.