Train operating company facts for kids

A train operating company (TOC) is a company that runs passenger trains in Great Britain under the National Rail brand. These companies started after the railway system was privatised in 1994.

Most TOCs have special agreements called "franchises" with the Department for Transport (DfT). These franchises let them run trains on specific routes for a set time. Some other companies, called "open-access operators," have licenses to run extra services on certain routes. Over time, many of these franchises have changed hands, been combined, or split up. Since 2024, the government has planned to take passenger rail services back into public ownership. As of August 2025, all train companies in Wales and Scotland, and six in England, are owned by the government.

Sometimes, the term TOC is also used for companies that run passenger or freight trains on tracks owned by another company or a national network.

Who Manages Train Companies?

In the past, different groups managed train franchises. Now, for most of England, the Department for Transport is in charge. In Scotland, Transport Scotland handles it. For Wales, Transport for Wales manages the main Welsh train services.

Some local government groups also manage train services. For example, Merseytravel manages the Merseyrail franchise in Merseyside. In London, Transport for London (TfL) oversees services like London Overground and the Elizabeth line. (The London Underground is different; it runs trains mostly on its own network.)

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) helps coordinate all the train operating companies. They create the national timetable and online journey planner. They also run discount schemes like Railcards. Eurostar is part of the RDG, even though it's not a TOC itself.

How Train Services Are Organised

The railway network in the United Kingdom is split into two main parts: one in Great Britain (including the Isle of Wight) and one in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland system is connected to the railway in the Republic of Ireland.

Train Services in Great Britain

In Great Britain, many companies run passenger train services. These are the Train Operating Companies (TOCs). They usually operate under regional franchises given by the DfT. The railway tracks and signals are owned and managed by Network Rail, not by the train companies.

Most passenger trains are owned by special companies called rolling stock companies (ROSCOs). These companies lease the trains to the TOCs. However, a few TOCs own and look after some of their own trains. Train companies also manage most of the stations they use. They lease the station buildings and land from Network Rail. Network Rail manages some very large stations.

Most passenger TOCs in Great Britain are privately owned. They run services under the National Rail brand. There are also "open-access operators" that run their own services. These are not part of the franchise system. Examples include Hull Trains, Grand Central, and Lumo. Other operators, like Eurostar and Heathrow Express, run special services outside the National Rail system.

Some local train services are run by the local franchise holder with a passenger transport executive. For example, Merseytravel manages the Merseyrail franchise. Also, the Scottish and Welsh governments award their own train franchises.

The Rail Delivery Group coordinates the TOCs in Great Britain. They own the National Rail brand and manage the common ticketing system. Many train operating companies are actually parts of bigger companies that run several franchises.

Current Train Operators

Train Services in Northern Ireland

The railway system in Northern Ireland is different. The only company that runs trains there is NI Railways. This company is part of Translink, which is a public transport company. NI Railways is not a TOC under the same rules as those in Great Britain. The Enterprise service, which goes between Belfast and Dublin, is run jointly with Iarnród Éireann, the national railway company of the Republic of Ireland.

How Train Companies Have Changed

When British Rail was privatised in 1994, its passenger services were split into 25 franchises. These were gradually taken over by private companies.

Changes in the 1990s

The privatisation process started in 1994. British Rail's passenger services were divided into 25 units. These units acted like "shadow franchises" before private companies took them over. The first private companies started running these franchises in 1996 and 1997. Some were bought by their own managers. Other major transport companies also took over franchises.

In 1998, some companies bought out their partners, taking full control of franchises. For example, FirstGroup took full control of Great Western Trains and North West Trains. Also, Heathrow Express started running fast services from London to Heathrow Airport. By 1999, more changes happened as companies restructured their ownership.

Changes from 2000 to 2009

In 2000, some train companies were bought by larger groups like Arriva and National Express. This led to fewer, but larger, companies owning many franchises. The first "open-access operator" using the National Rail brand, Hull Trains, also started services.

In 2001, some franchises changed hands due to poor management. New franchises were also created by combining older ones. For example, the Wales & Borders franchise was formed.

From 2004 onwards, there was a trend to combine services from each major London station under one franchise. This meant that one company would run both long-distance and local trains from a specific London terminal. For example, the Greater Anglia franchise combined several services from Liverpool Street station. In the North of England, two regional franchises were changed into the TransPennine franchise (for intercity trains) and the Northern franchise (for local trains).

In 2006, three new large franchises started. These combined many different services into bigger, more integrated operations. For example, First Great Western combined express and local services from London Paddington.

More integrations happened in 2007. The South Western franchise merged services on the Isle of Wight with mainland services. New franchises like CrossCountry, East Midlands Trains, and London Midland also began operating. London Overground Rail Operations took control of some London routes, which were managed differently as an "operating concession" by TfL. This meant TfL had more control over things like pricing and timetables.

In 2009, the government took over the InterCity East Coast franchise due to financial problems. A public-sector company, Directly Operated Railways, started running it.

Changes from 2010 Onwards

In 2011, some train companies changed hands again as larger groups acquired them. Some services, like Wrexham & Shropshire, stopped running due to losses.

In 2012, there was a big issue with the InterCity West Coast franchise. The Department for Transport made a mistake during the bidding process, and the winning offer was withdrawn.

In 2014, Govia Thameslink Railway took over services that became known as Thameslink and Great Northern. In 2015, Virgin Trains East Coast started running the InterCity East Coast franchise. Also in 2015, the ScotRail franchise was split, with the Caledonian Sleeper becoming a separate service. Some London routes were transferred to TfL to be run as concessions.

In 2016, TransPennine Express and Arriva Rail North started operating their respective franchises. Arriva Rail London took over the London Overground concession.

In 2017, some companies were sold to new owners, like c2c being sold to Trenitalia. New joint ventures also started operating franchises, such as South Western Railway and West Midlands Trains.

In 2018, Virgin Trains East Coast's contract was ended early due to financial issues. The government-owned London North Eastern Railway took over. TfL Rail also took over Heathrow Connect services, allowing Oyster and Contactless payments to Heathrow. Transport for Wales took over the Wales & Borders franchise.

In 2019, East Midlands Railway and Avanti West Coast started operating new franchises.

In 2020, the Northern franchise was transferred to the UK government-owned Northern Trains. The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom caused major changes. The government took over financial risks for train companies, and they were seen as temporarily re-nationalised.

In 2021, the Welsh government-owned Transport for Wales Rail took over the Wales & Borders franchise. The government-owned Southeastern took over the South Eastern franchise. Lumo started new open-access services.

In 2022, ScotRail became fully owned by the Scottish Government. TfL Rail was rebranded as the Elizabeth line.

In 2023, FirstGroup's TransPennine Express contract was not renewed due to service problems. The government's DfT OLR Holdings took over the service. The Scottish Government also took over the Caledonian Sleeper service.

In December 2024, the government announced plans to bring all passenger rail operators back into public ownership. This process began in 2025. On May 25, 2025, the South Western Railway contract expired and was taken over by the government's DfT Operator. On July 20, 2025, the ownership of c2c services also transferred to the DfT Operator.

Special Train Trips (Railtours)

The privatisation of British Rail allowed companies to buy individual slots on the main railway lines. This led to the growth of companies offering special charter trains and "railtours." These trips often use older trains pulled by hired locomotives. Sometimes, old preserved locomotives that are allowed on the main lines are used for these special trips.

Train and Ferry Connections

Many railway stations near the coast connect with ferry services. The ferry timetables often match the train arrivals and departures. Some even offer tickets that cover both train and ferry travel. For example, you can buy a ticket from any station in Great Britain to the Isle of Wight that includes the ferry crossing.

International Train Services

There are a few international train services that use the UK railways:

• Eurostar: This train runs between London St Pancras and cities in Europe like Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam, going through the Channel Tunnel.
• Enterprise: This service runs on the Irish railway network between Belfast and Dublin.

Another international option is the Dutchflyer. This is not a separate train service. It's a partnership between Greater Anglia (a train company), Stena Line (a ferry company), and Nederlandse Spoorwegen (the Dutch railway company). They offer a single ticket for train, ferry, and train travel between eastern England and the Netherlands.

The Venice Simplon Orient Express also offers international services. It uses two separate trains. The Belmond British Pullman takes passengers from London Victoria to Folkestone West. From there, passengers travel by coach through the Channel Tunnel to Calais, where they join the Orient Express for journeys to various European cities like Paris, Vienna, and Venice.

Train Companies in Other Countries

The idea of separating train operating companies from the companies that own the tracks is common in many countries, especially in the European Union. For example, in Germany, there are "train operating companies" (EVU) that run the trains and "infrastructure companies" (EIU) that own and maintain the tracks.

See also

• List of companies operating trains in the United Kingdom
• Rail transport in Great Britain
• Rail transport in Ireland
• Rail Delivery Group