List of companies operating trains in the United Kingdom facts for kids
This page is about 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 operators of franchised passenger services, officially referred to as train operating companies (TOCs), as distinct from freight operating companies.
Contents
Passenger operators in Great Britain
| Operator | Type | Franchise | Parent(s) | Passenger satisfaction |
Start date | Replaced | Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arriva Rail London (Trading as: London Overground) | TfL concession | London Overground | Arriva UK Trains | 87% | 13 November 2016 | London Overground Rail Operations | LO |
| Avanti West Coast | Franchise | West Coast Partnership |
|
84% | 8 December 2019 | Virgin Trains West Coast | VT |
| c2c | Essex Thameside | Trenitalia | 84% | 26 May 1996 | Network SouthEast (London, Tilbury & Southend Division) |
CC | |
| Caledonian Sleeper | Caledonian Sleeper | Scottish Rail Holdings | — | 25 June 2023 | Caledonian Sleeper (Serco) | CS | |
| Chiltern Railways | Chiltern Railways | Arriva UK Trains | 88% | 21 July 1996 | Network SouthEast (Chiltern Division) | CH | |
| CrossCountry | New CrossCountry | 85% | 11 November 2007 | Central Trains (Birmingham – Stansted), (Cardiff – Nottingham) Virgin CrossCountry |
XC | ||
| East Midlands Railway | East Midlands | Transport UK Group | 83% | 18 August 2019 |
|
EM | |
| Elizabeth line | TfL concession | Crossrail | MTR Elizabeth line | 89% | 31 May 2015 (as TfL Rail) |
|
XR |
| Eurostar | Open access | — | Eurostar Group | — | 14 November 1994 | — | ES |
| Govia Thameslink Railway (Trading as: Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink) | Franchise | Thameslink, Southern & Great Northern | Govia | 80% | 14 September 2014 | SN, TL, GN, GX | |
| Grand Central | Open access | — | Arriva UK Trains | 95% | 18 December 2007 | — | GC |
| Greater Anglia (also operating Stansted Express) | Franchise | East Anglia |
|
77% | 16 October 2016 | National Express East Anglia | LE |
| Great Western Railway | Greater Western | FirstGroup | 86% | 1 April 2006 |
|
GW | |
| Heathrow Express | Open access | — | Heathrow Airport Holdings | 94% | 23 June 1998 | — | HX |
| Hull Trains | — | FirstGroup | 92% | 25 September 2002 | — | HT | |
| London North Eastern Railway | Franchise | InterCity East Coast | DfT OLR Holdings | 91% | 24 June 2018 | Virgin Trains East Coast | GR |
| Lumo | Open access | — | FirstGroup | — | 25 October 2021 | — | LD |
| Merseyrail | Merseytravel contract | Merseyrail | Serco-Abellio | 90% | 20 July 2003 | Arriva Trains Merseyside | ME |
| Northern Trains | Franchise | Northern | DfT OLR Holdings | 77% | 1 March 2020 | Arriva Rail North | NT |
| ScotRail | ScotRail | Scottish Rail Holdings | — | 1 April 2022 | Abellio ScotRail | SR | |
| Southeastern | South Eastern | DfT OLR Holdings | — | 17 October 2021 | Southeastern (Govia) | SE | |
| South Western Railway (also operating Island Line) | South Western |
|
75% | 20 August 2017 | South West Trains | SW, IL | |
| TransPennine Express | TransPennine Express | DfT OLR Holdings | – | 28 May 2023 | TransPennine Express (FirstGroup) | TP | |
| Transport for Wales Rail | Wales & Borders | Transport for Wales | — | 7 February 2021 | KeolisAmey Wales | AW | |
| West Midlands Trains (Trading as: West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway) | West Midlands |
|
79% | 10 December 2017 | 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 | Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abellio ScotRail | Franchise | ScotRail | Abellio | 1 April 2015 | 31 March 2022 | ScotRail (Scottish Government) | SR |
| Anglia Railways | Anglia | GB Railways | 5 January 1997 | 31 March 2004 | One | AR | |
| Arriva Trains Wales | Wales & Borders | Arriva UK Trains | 8 December 2003 | 13 October 2018 | KeolisAmey Wales | AW | |
| Arriva Trains Merseyside | Merseytravel contract | Merseyrail | February 2000 | 20 July 2003 | Merseyrail | ME | |
| Arriva Trains Northern | Franchise | Regional Railways North East | 2 March 1997 | 12 December 2004 | AN | ||
| Arriva Rail North | Northern | 1 April 2016 | 29 February 2020 | Northern Trains | NT | ||
| Caledonian Sleeper (Serco) | Caledonian Sleeper | Serco | 31 March 2015 | 24 June 2023 | Caledonian Sleeper (Scottish Rail Holdings) |
CS | |
| Central Trains | Central | National Express | 2 March 1997 | 10 November 2007 | CT | ||
| Connex South Central | Network SouthCentral | Connex | 13 October 1996 | 16 June 2001 | Southern | CX | |
| Connex South Eastern | South Eastern | 26 May 1996 | 9 November 2003 | South Eastern Trains | |||
| East Coast | InterCity East Coast | Directly Operated Railways | 14 November 2009 | 28 February 2015 | Virgin Trains East Coast | GR | |
| East Midlands Trains | East Midlands | Stagecoach | 11 November 2007 | 17 August 2019 | East Midlands Railway | EM | |
| First Capital Connect | Thameslink Great Northern | FirstGroup | 1 April 2006 | 13 September 2014 | Govia Thameslink Railway | FC | |
| First Great Eastern | Great Eastern | FirstGroup | 5 January 1997 | 31 March 2004 | National Express East Anglia | GE | |
| First Great Western Link | Thames | FirstGroup | 1 April 2004 | 31 March 2006 | First Great Western | FK | |
| First North Western | North West Regional Railways | FirstGroup | 2 March 1997 | 12 December 2004 | NW | ||
| First ScotRail | Scotrail | FirstGroup | 17 October 2004 | 31 March 2015 | Abellio ScotRail | SR | |
| First TransPennine Express | TransPennine Express |
|
1 February 2004 | 31 March 2016 | TransPennine Express | TP | |
| Gatwick Express | Gatwick Express | National Express | 28 April 1996 | 22 June 2008 | Southern | GX | |
| Great North Eastern Railway | InterCity East Coast | Sea Containers | 28 April 1996 | 8 December 2007 | National Express East Coast | GR | |
| Great Western Trains | Great Western | Great Western Holdings | 4 February 1996 | March 1998 | First Great Western | GW | |
| Heathrow Connect | Open Access | — | Heathrow Airport Holdings, FirstGroup | 12 June 2005 | 19 May 2018 | TfL Rail | HC |
| Island Line | Franchise | Island Line | Stagecoach | 13 October 1996 | 3 February 2007 | South West Trains | IL |
| London Midland | West Midlands | Govia | 11 November 2007 | 9 December 2017 | West Midlands Trains | LM | |
| London Overground Rail Operations | TfL concession | London Overground |
|
11 November 2007 | 12 November 2016 | Arriva Rail London | LO |
| Merseyrail Electrics | Merseytravel contract | Merseyrail | MTL | 19 January 1997 | February 2000 | Arriva Trains Merseyside | ME |
| Midland Mainline | Franchise | Midland Main Line | National Express | 28 February 1996 | 10 November 2007 | East Midlands Trains | ML |
| National Express East Anglia | Greater Anglia | 1 April 2004 | 5 February 2012 | Greater Anglia | LE | ||
| National Express East Coast | InterCity East Coast | 9 December 2007 | 13 November 2009 | East Coast | GR | ||
| Northern Rail | Northern Rail | Serco-Abellio | 12 December 2004 | 31 March 2016 | Arriva Rail North | NT | |
| Northern Spirit | Regional Railways North East | MTL | 2 March 1997 | February 2000 | Arriva Trains Northern | NS | |
| North Western Trains | North West Regional Railways | Great Western Holdings | 2 March 1997 | March 1998 | First North Western | NW | |
| ScotRail | ScotRail | National Express | 31 March 1997 | 17 October 2004 | First ScotRail | SR | |
| Silverlink | North London Railways | 2 March 1997 | 10 November 2007 |
|
SS | ||
| Southeastern | Integrated Kent | Govia | 1 April 2006 | 16 October 2021 | Southeastern | SE | |
| South Eastern Trains | South Eastern | Strategic Rail Authority | 9 November 2003 | 31 March 2006 | Southeastern | SE | |
| South West Trains | South Western | Stagecoach | 4 February 2007 | 19 August 2017 | South Western Railway | SW | |
| Southern | South Central | Govia | 26 August 2001 | 25 July 2015 | Govia Thameslink Railway | SN | |
| Thames Trains | Thames | Go-Ahead Group | 13 October 1996 | 31 March 2004 | First Great Western Link | TT | |
| Thameslink | Thameslink | Govia | 2 March 1997 | 31 March 2006 | First Capital Connect | TR | |
| TransPennine Express | TransPennine Express | FirstGroup | 1 April 2016 | 28 May 2023 | TransPennine Trains (trading as TransPennine Express) |
TP | |
| KeolisAmey Wales | Wales & Borders | Keolis/Amey | 14 October 2018 | 6 February 2021 | Transport for Wales Rail | AW | |
| Valley Lines | Valley Lines | National Express | 13 October 1996 | 13 October 2001 | Wales & Borders | VL | |
| Virgin Trains East Coast | InterCity East Coast |
|
1 March 2015 | 23 June 2018 | London North Eastern Railway | GR | |
| Virgin CrossCountry | CrossCountry | Virgin Rail Group | 5 January 1997 | 10 November 2007 | VXC | ||
| Virgin Trains West Coast | InterCity West Coast | 9 March 1997 | 7 December 2019 | Avanti West Coast | VT | ||
| West Anglia Great Northern (West Anglia Main Line and Lea Valley Lines) | West Anglia Great Northern | National Express | 5 January 1997 | 31 March 2004 | One | WN | |
| West Anglia Great Northern (Great Northern and Fenline routes) | West Anglia Great Northern | National Express | 5 January 1997 | 31 March 2006 | First Capital Connect | ||
| Wales & Borders | Wales & Borders | National Express | 14 October 2001 | 7 December 2003 | Arriva Trains Wales | WB | |
| Wales & West | Wales & West | National Express | 13 October 1996 | 13 October 2001 |
|
WW | |
| Wessex Trains | Wessex | National Express | 14 October 2001 | 31 March 2006 | First Great Western | WE | |
| Wrexham & Shropshire | Open access | Wrexham to London | DB Regio | 28 April 2008 | 28 January 2011 | Ceased due to lack of profitability | WS |
Passenger operators in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, passenger trains are NI/Ireland government-owned by Translink or the National Transport Authority. The following brands are used:
- Northern Ireland Railways
- Enterprise service from Dublin Connolly to Belfast Lanyon Place on the Belfast-Dublin line joint venture between Northern Ireland Railways and Iarnród Éireann.
- Iarnród Éireann, Operates 2 Northern Commuter services a day to/from Newry.
UK Railtour operators
- Compass Tours
- DPS Railtours
- Pathfinder Tours
- Scottish Railway Preservation Society
- Venice-Simplon Orient Express (British Pullman and Northern Belle services)
- Vintage Trains
- West Coast Railways
- Locomotive Services Limited
Luxury railtours
- Belmond Grand Hibernian (From August 2016)
- Steam Dreams (Emerald Isle Explorer)
In Northern Ireland
- Enthusiast railtours
- Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
- Irish Railway Record Society
- The Modern Railway Society of Ireland
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
| Sector of British Rail | Franchise | Pre-grouping company | Original privatised operator | Current operator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| InterCity | Caledonian Sleeper | N/A | ScotRail | Caledonian Sleeper |
| East Midlands | Midland Railway | Midland Mainline | East Midlands Railway | |
| Greater Western | Great Western Railway | Great Western Trains | Great Western Railway | |
| InterCity East Coast | Great Northern Railway | Great North Eastern Railway | London North Eastern Railway | |
| New CrossCountry | N/A | Virgin CrossCountry | CrossCountry | |
| West Coast Partnership | London & North Western Railway | Virgin Trains West Coast | Avanti West Coast | |
| Network SouthEast | Chiltern | Great Central Railway | Chiltern Railways | |
| East Anglia | Great Eastern Railway | Anglia Railways | Greater Anglia | |
| Essex Thameside | London, Tilbury & Southend Railway | LTS Rail | c2c | |
| South Eastern | South Eastern & Chatham Railway | Connex South Eastern | Southeastern | |
| South Western | London & South Western Railway | South West Trains | South Western Railway | |
| Thameslink, Southern & Great Northern | London, Brighton & South Coast Railway | Thameslink Connex South Central West Anglia Great Northern (Great Northern and Fenline routes) |
Thameslink Southern Great Northern (Govia Thameslink Railway) |
|
| West Midlands | N/A | Central Trains | West Midlands Railway London Northwestern Railway (West Midlands Trains) |
|
| Regional Railways | Wales & Borders | Predominantly London & North Western Railway | Wales & Borders | Transport for Wales Rail |
| TransPennine Express | North Western Trains | TransPennine Express | ||
| Northern | Northern Spirit | Northern Trains | ||
| ScotRail | Caledonian Railway, Glasgow & South Western Railway, Great North of Scotland Railway, Highland Railway and North British Railway |
ScotRail | ScotRail | |
See also
- Passenger rail franchising in Great Britain (for detailed information about the history of each franchise)
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List of companies operating trains in the United Kingdom Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.