In France, a voie ferrée d'intérêt local (pronounced [vwa fɛʁe dɛ̃teʁɛ lɔkal]; "Railway of Local Interest"), abbreviated VFIL, is a secondary railway constructed by a local administrative division, serving sparsely populated rural areas. These areas were beyond the economic reach of the networks of the intérêt général, which were concessions of the grandes compagnies ("Big Companies") who ran their lines for profit.