List of companies operating trains in the United Kingdom
This article only covers companies operating trains on Network Rail lines. For other companies, see List of British heritage and private railways.
There are many companies operating trains in the United Kingdom, including the 22 operators of franchised passenger services, officially referred to as train operating companies (TOCs), as distinct from freight operating companies.
Passenger operators in Great Britain
Operator | Type | Franchise | Parent(s) | Passenger satisfaction[1] | Start date | Expiry date | Replaced | Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abellio ScotRail | Franchise | ScotRail | Abellio | 89% | 1 April 2015 | 31 March 2022 | First ScotRail | SR |
Arriva Rail London | TfL concession | London Overground | Arriva UK Trains | 88% | 13 November 2016[2][3][4] | 26 May 2024 | London Overground Rail Operations | LO |
Avanti West Coast | Franchise | West Coast Partnership | FirstGroup (70%) Trenitalia (30%) |
— | 8 December 2019 | 31 March 2031 | Virgin Trains | VT |
c2c | Franchise | Essex Thameside | Trenitalia | 86% | 26 May 1996 | 10 November 2029 | Network SouthEast (London, Tilbury & Southend Division) |
CC |
Caledonian Sleeper | Franchise | Caledonian Sleeper | Serco | — | 31 March 2015 | 31 March 2030 | First ScotRail | CS |
Chiltern Railways | Franchise | Chiltern Railways | Arriva UK Trains | 90% | 21 July 1996 | 21 December 2021[5] | Network SouthEast (Chiltern Division) | CH |
CrossCountry | Franchise | New CrossCountry | Arriva UK Trains | 80% | 11 November 2007 | 18 October 2020[6] | Central Trains (Birmingham – Stansted & Cardiff – Nottingham route) Virgin CrossCountry |
XC |
East Midlands Railway | Franchise | East Midlands | Abellio | 80% | 18 August 2019 | 21 August 2027 | East Midlands Trains | EM |
Eurostar | Open access | — | Eurostar International Limited | — | 14 November 1994 | — | ES | |
Govia Thameslink Railway (branded as: Thameslink / Southern / Great Northern / Gatwick Express) | Franchise | Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern | Govia | 83% | 14 September 2014 | September 2021[7] | First Capital Connect, Southern | SN, TL, GN, GX |
Grand Central[8] | Open access | — | Arriva UK Trains | 94% | 18 December 2007 | December 2026[9] | GC | |
Greater Anglia | Franchise | East Anglia | Abellio (60%) Mitsui (40%) |
81% | 16 October 2016[10] | October 2025[7][7] | National Express East Anglia | LE |
Great Western Railway | Franchise | Greater Western | FirstGroup | 86% | 1 April 2006 | 31 March 2023[11] | First Great Western First Great Western Link Wessex Trains |
GW |
Heathrow Express | Open access | — | Heathrow Airport Holdings | 96% | 23 June 1998 | — | HX | |
Hull Trains | Open access | — | FirstGroup | 92% | 25 September 2002 | December 2029[12] | HT | |
London North Eastern Railway | Franchise | InterCity East Coast | Department for Transport | 89% | 24 June 2018 | 2025 | Virgin Trains East Coast | GR |
Merseyrail | Merseytravel contract | Merseyrail | Serco-Abellio | 91% | 20 July 2003 | 19 July 2028[5] | Arriva Trains Merseyside | ME |
Northern Trains | Franchise | Northern | Department for Transport | 72% | 1 March 2020 | — | Arriva Rail North | NT |
Southeastern | Franchise | Integrated Kent | Govia | 81% | 1 April 2006 | 16 October 2021[11] | South Eastern Trains | SE |
South Western Railway | Franchise | South Western | FirstGroup (70%) MTR Corporation (30%) |
74% | 20 August 2017 | 18 August 2024[7] | South West Trains | SW, IL |
TfL Rail | TfL concession | Crossrail | MTR Corporation | 85% | 31 May 2015 | 30 May 2023 | Greater Anglia (Liverpool Street – Shenfield)
Heathrow Connect Heathrow Express (Heathrow Central – Heathrow T4 shuttle) |
XR |
TransPennine Express | Franchise | TransPennine Express | FirstGroup | 79% | 1 April 2016 | 31 March 2023[7] | First TransPennine Express | TP |
Transport for Wales | Franchise | Wales & Borders | Keolis/Amey | 79% | 14 October 2018 | 15 October 2033 | Arriva Trains Wales | AW |
West Midlands Trains | Franchise | West Midlands | Abellio (70%) JR East (15%) Mitsui (15%) |
85% | 10 December 2017[7] | April 2026[7] | London Midland | LM |
There are also a number of light rail systems.
Defunct operating companies
Operating companies have ceased to exist for various reasons, including withdrawal of the franchise, the term of the franchise has expired, bankruptcy or merger.
Operator | Type | Franchise | Parent(s) | Date started | Date ceased | Replaced by |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anglia Railways | Franchise | Anglia | GB Railways | 5 January 1997 | 31 March 2004 | One |
Arriva Trains Wales | Franchise | Wales & Borders | Arriva UK Trains | 8 December 2003 | 13 October 2018[5] | Transport for Wales |
Arriva Trains Merseyside |
Merseytravel contract | Merseyrail | Arriva UK Trains | February 2000 | 20 July 2003 | Merseyrail |
Arriva Trains Northern | Franchise | Regional Railways North East | Arriva UK Trains | February 2000 | 12 December 2004 | First TransPennine Express Northern Rail |
Arriva Rail North | Franchise | Northern | Arriva UK Trains | 1 April 2016 | 29 February 2020 | Northern Trains |
Central Trains | Franchise | Central | National Express | 2 March 1997 | 10 November 2007 | CrossCountry East Midlands Trains London Midland |
Connex South Central | Franchise | Network SouthCentral | Connex | 13 October 1996 | 16 June 2001 | Southern |
Connex South Eastern | Franchise | South Eastern | Connex | 26 May 1996 | 9 November 2003 | South Eastern Trains |
East Coast | Franchise | InterCity East Coast | Directly Operated Railways | 14 November 2009 | 28 February 2015 | Virgin Trains East Coast |
East Midlands Trains | Franchise | East Midlands | Stagecoach | 11 November 2007 | 17 August 2019 | East Midlands Railway |
First Capital Connect | Franchise | Thameslink Great Northern | FirstGroup | 1 April 2006 | 13 September 2014 | Govia Thameslink Railway |
First Great Eastern | Franchise | Great Eastern | FirstGroup | 5 January 1997 | 31 March 2004 | One |
First Great Western Link | Franchise | Thames | FirstGroup | 1 April 2004 | 31 March 2006 | First Great Western |
First North Western | Franchise | North West Regional Railways | FirstGroup | 2 March 1997 | 12 December 2004 | Arriva Trains Wales First TransPennine Express Northern Rail |
First ScotRail | Franchise | Scotrail | FirstGroup | 17 October 2004 | 31 March 2015 | Abellio ScotRail |
First TransPennine Express | Franchise | TransPennine Express | FirstGroup (55%) Keolis (45%) |
1 February 2004 | 31 March 2016 | TransPennine Express |
Gatwick Express | Franchise | Gatwick Express | National Express | 28 April 1996 | 22 June 2008 | Southern |
Great North Eastern Railway | Franchise | InterCity East Coast | Sea Containers | 28 April 1996 | 8 December 2007 | National Express East Coast |
Great Western Trains | Franchise | Great Western | Great Western Holdings | 4 February 1996 | March 1998 | First Great Western |
Heathrow Connect | Open Access | — | Heathrow Airport Holdings, FirstGroup | 12 June 2005 | 19 May 2018 | TfL Rail |
Island Line | Franchise | Island Line | Stagecoach | 13 October 1996 | 3 February 2007 | South West Trains |
London Midland | Franchise | West Midlands | Govia | 11 November 2007 | 9 December 2017 | West Midlands Trains |
London Overground Rail Operations | TfL concession | London Overground | Arriva UK Trains (50%) MTR Corporation (50%) |
11 November 2007 | 12 November 2016[13] | Arriva Rail London |
Merseyrail Electrics | Merseytravel contract | Merseyrail | MTL | 19 January 1997 | February 2000 | Arriva Trains Merseyside |
Midland Mainline | Franchise | Midland Main Line | National Express | 28 February 1996 | 10 November 2007 | East Midlands Trains |
National Express East Anglia | Franchise | Greater Anglia | National Express | 1 April 2004 | 5 February 2012 | Greater Anglia |
National Express East Coast | Franchise | InterCity East Coast | National Express | 9 December 2007 | 13 November 2009 | East Coast |
Northern Rail | Franchise | Northern | Serco-Abellio | 12 December 2004 | 31 March 2016 | Arriva Rail North |
Northern Spirit | Franchise | Regional Railways North East | MTL | 2 March 1997 | February 2000 | Arriva Trains Northern |
North Western Trains | Franchise | North West Regional Railways | Great Western Holdings | 2 March 1997 | March 1998 | First North Western |
ScotRail | Franchise | ScotRail | National Express | 31 March 1997 | 17 October 2004 | First ScotRail |
Silverlink | Franchise | North London Railways | National Express | 2 March 1997 | 10 November 2007 | London Midland London Overground Rail Operations |
South Eastern Trains | Franchise | South Eastern | Strategic Rail Authority | 9 November 2003 | 31 March 2006 | Southeastern |
South West Trains | Franchise | South West | Stagecoach | 4 February 2007 | 19 August 2017[14] | South Western Railway |
Southern | Franchise | South Central | Govia | 26 August 2001 | 25 July 2015 | Connex South Central |
Thames Trains | Franchise | Thames | Go-Ahead Group | 13 October 1996 | 31 March 2004 | First Great Western Link |
Thameslink | Franchise | Thameslink | Govia | 2 March 1997 | 31 March 2006 | First Capital Connect |
Valley Lines | Franchise | Valley Lines | National Express | 13 October 1996 | 13 October 2001 | Wales & Borders |
Virgin Trains East Coast | Franchise | InterCity East Coast | Virgin Group (10%) Stagecoach (90%) |
1 March 2015 | 23 June 2018 | London North Eastern Railway |
Virgin CrossCountry | Franchise | CrossCountry | Virgin Rail Group | 5 January 1997 | 10 November 2007 | CrossCountry First TransPennine Express Virgin Trains West Coast |
Virgin Trains | Franchise | InterCity West Coast | Virgin Rail Group | 9 March 1997 | 7 December 2019[15] | InterCity (West Coast Division) |
West Anglia Great Northern (West Anglia Main Line and Lea Valley Lines) |
Franchise | West Anglia Great Northern | National Express | 5 January 1997 | 31 March 2004 | One |
West Anglia Great Northern (Great Northern and Fenline routes) |
Franchise | West Anglia Great Northern | National Express | 5 January 1997 | 31 March 2006 | First Capital Connect |
Wales & Borders | Franchise | Wales & Borders | National Express | 14 October 2001 | 7 December 2003 | Arriva Trains Wales |
Wales & West | Franchise | Wales & West | National Express | 13 October 1996 | 13 October 2001 | Wales & Borders Wessex Trains |
Wessex Trains | Franchise | Wessex | National Express | 14 October 2001 | 31 March 2006 | First Great Western |
Wrexham & Shropshire | Open access | Wrexham to London | DB Regio | 28 April 2008 | 28 January 2011 | Ceased due to lack of profitability |
Future operators
- Crossrail, a concession for the cross-London Reading/Heathrow to Shenfield/Abbey Wood line. It has already taken control of its first services between Liverpool Street and Shenfield in May 2015 and services between Paddington and Heathrow in May 2018 with the full franchise operating from 2021.[16]
- East Coast Trains from London King's Cross to Edinburgh Waverley via Stevenage, Newcastle and Morpeth. Operations are planned to commence in May 2021.[17][18][19]
Passenger operators in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, most passenger trains are government-owned by Translink. The following brands are used:
- Northern Ireland Railways
- The Enterprise service on the Belfast-Dublin line, jointly operated by Northern Ireland Railways and Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail)
The only exception is that Iarnród Éireann operate one early morning cross-border commuter service from Newry to Dublin Pearse every weekday, as part of its Dublin Suburban Rail operations.
Railtour operators
- Compass Tours
- DPS Railtours
- Pathfinder Tours
- Scottish Railway Preservation Society
- Venice-Simplon Orient Express (British Pullman and Northern Belle services)
- Vintage Trains
In Northern Ireland
- Enthusiast Railtours
- Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
- Irish Railway Record Society
- The Modern Railway Society of Ireland
- Luxury Railtours
- Belmond Grand Hibernian (From August 2016)
- Steam Dreams (Emerald Isle Explorer)
Freight operators
- Colas Rail
- DCRail
- Direct Rail Services
- DB Cargo UK (formerly English Welsh & Scottish Railway)
- Freightliner
- GB Railfreight
- Mendip Rail
Franchised passenger operator structure in Great Britain
See also
- Passenger rail franchising in Great Britain (for detailed information about the history of each franchise)
References
- ^ "National Rail Passenger Survey Autumn 2019". Transport Focus. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Arriva wins £1.5bn London Overground contract BBC News 18 March 2016
- ^ Transport for London announces intention to award London Overground contract to Arriva Arriva 18 March 2016
- ^ TfL confirm London Overground contract with Arriva signed Railway Technology Magazine 18 April 2016
- ^ a b c "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 January 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Extension of Current Franchise - Cross Country". RMT. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Rail franchise schedule" (PDF). Department of Transport. 19 July 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
- ^ In May 2010 Grand Northern services began, branded Grand Central to allow a single fleet pool to be used.
- ^ "10-year contract extension". grandcentralrail.com.
- ^ "Railway plan puts new focus on passengers". Department for Transport. 26 March 2013.
- ^ a b "Critical rail services protected in new deals for GWR and Southeastern". GOV.UK. Department for Transport. 30 March 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ £60m Hull Trains electro-diesel train deal signed Railway Gazette International 2 November 2016
- ^ Transport for London. "Media". tfl.gov.uk.
- ^ https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/533363/swf-itt.pdf
- ^ "FirstGroup replaces Virgin to run West Coast route". BBC Sport. 14 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
- ^ "London Reconnections: TfL Board Meeting Summary: DLR, Overground and Other Ways of Travelling". londonreconnections.blogspot.com.
- ^ Applications for the East Coast Main Line Office of Rail and Road 12 May 2016
- ^ First Group to run Edinburgh to London budget rail service BBC News 12 May 2016
- ^ VTEC and FirstGroup granted East Coast Main Line paths Railway Gazette International 12 May 2016