There are many companies operating trains in the United Kingdom, including the operators of franchised and publicly owned passenger services, officially referred to as train operating companies (TOCs), as distinct from freight operating companies.
Passenger operators
Current operators
{|class="sortable wikitable" width=100%
! width=120| Operator
!Type
!width=120|Franchise / contract
!Parent(s)
!align="center"| Start date
!Replaced
!Code
|-
|Avanti West Coast
|Contract
|West Coast Partnership
|
|
|Virgin Trains West Coast
|VT
|-
|c2c
| rowspan="2" |State-owned operator
|Essex Thameside
|DfT Operator
|
|c2c (Trenitalia)
|CC
|-
|Caledonian Sleeper
|Caledonian Sleeper
|Scottish Rail Holdings
|
|Caledonian Sleeper (Serco)
|CS
|-
|Chiltern Railways
| rowspan="3" |Contract
|Chiltern Railways
| rowspan="2" |Arriva UK Trains
|
|Network SouthEast (Chiltern Division)
|CH
|-
|CrossCountry
|New CrossCountry
|
|Central Trains<br>(Birmingham – Stansted), (Cardiff – Nottingham)<br>Virgin CrossCountry
|XC
|-
|East Midlands Railway
|East Midlands
|Transport UK Group
|
|
|EM
|-
|Elizabeth line
|TfL concession
|Elizabeth line
|GTS Rail Operations
|
|
|XR
|-
|Eurostar
|Open access
|
|Eurostar Group
|
|
|ES
|-
|First Rail London
|TfL concession
|London Overground
|FirstGroup
|
|Arriva Rail London
|LO
|-
|Grand Central
|Open access
|
|Arriva UK Trains
|
|
|GC
|-
|Great Western Railway
|Contract
|Greater Western
|FirstGroup
|
|
|GW
|-
|Greater Anglia (also operating Stansted Express)
| rowspan="1" |State-owned operator
|East Anglia
|DfT Operator
|
|Greater Anglia (Transport UK Group, Mitsui)
|LE
|-
|Greater Thameslink Railway (Trading as: Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink)
|State-owned operator
|Thameslink, Southern & Great Northern
|DfT Operator
|
|Govia Thameslink Railway
|SN, TL, GN, GX
|-
|Heathrow Express
| rowspan="2" |Open access
|
|Heathrow Airport Holdings
|
|
|HX
|-
|Hull Trains
|
|FirstGroup
|
|
|HT
|-
|
|State-owned operator
|InterCity East Coast
|DfT Operator
|
|Virgin Trains East Coast
|GR
|-
|Lumo
|Open access
|
|FirstGroup
|
|
|LD
|-
|Merseyrail
|Merseytravel contract
|Merseyrail
|Serco-Abellio
|
|Arriva Trains Merseyside
|ME
|-
|Northern Trains
| rowspan="7" |State-owned operator
|Northern
|DfT Operator
|
|Arriva Rail North
|NT
|-
|ScotRail
|ScotRail
|Scottish Rail Holdings
|
|Abellio ScotRail
|SR
|-
|Southeastern
|South Eastern
|DfT Operator
|
|Southeastern (Govia)
|SE
|-
|South Western Railway (also operating Island Line)
|South Western
|DfT Operator
|
|South Western Railway (First MTR)
|SW, IL
|-
|TransPennine Express
|TransPennine Express
|DfT Operator
|
|TransPennine Express (FirstGroup)
|TP
|-
|Transport for Wales Rail
|Wales & Borders
|Transport for Wales
|
|KeolisAmey Wales
|AW
|-
|West Midlands Trains (Trading as: West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway)
|West Midlands
|DfT Operator
|
|West Midlands Trains (Transport UK Group, JR East, Mitsui)
|LM
|}
There are also a number of light rail systems.
Future operators
Future operating companies that have been announced by the Department for Transport. These will be the first nationalised operators to take over passenger services since the passing of the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, which makes public ownership the default option for passenger services.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Operator
!Type
!width=120|Contract
!Parent
!Date commencing
!Replacing
!Code
|-
|Chiltern Railways
|State-owned operator
|Chiltern
|DfT Operator
|20 September 2026
|Chiltern Railways
|CH
|-
|Great Western Railway
|State-owned operator
|Greater Western
|DfT Operator
|13 December 2026
|Great Western Railway
|GW
|}
Defunct operators
Operating companies have ceased to exist for various reasons, including withdrawal of the franchise, the term of the franchise has expired, bankruptcy or merger.
{|class="sortable wikitable" width=100%
! width=160| Operator
! Type
! Franchise
!Parent(s)
! Date started
! Date ceased
!Replaced by
!Code
|-
|Abellio ScotRail
| rowspan="3" |Franchise
|ScotRail
|Abellio
|
|
|ScotRail (Scottish Government)
|SR
|-
|Anglia Railways
|Anglia
|GB Railways
|
|
|One
|AR
|-
|Arriva Trains Wales
|Wales & Borders
| rowspan="5" |Arriva UK Trains
|
|
|KeolisAmey Wales
|AW
|-
|Arriva Trains Merseyside
|Merseytravel contract
|Merseyrail
|
|
|Merseyrail
|ME
|-
|Arriva Trains Northern
| rowspan="2" |Franchise
| Regional Railways North East
|
|
|
|AN
|-
|Arriva Rail North
|Northern
|
|
|Northern Trains
|NT
|-
|Arriva Rail London (Trading as: London Overground)
|TfL concession
|London Overground
|
|2 May 2026
|First Rail London
|LO
|-
|Caledonian Sleeper (Serco)
| rowspan="18" |Franchise
|Caledonian Sleeper
|Serco
|
|
|Caledonian Sleeper<br>(Scottish Rail Holdings)
|CS
|-
|c2c
|Essex Thameside
|Trenitalia
|
|
|c2c
|CC
|-
|Central Trains
|Central
|National Express
|
|
|
|CT
|-
|Connex South Central
|Network SouthCentral
| rowspan="2" |Connex
|
|
|Southern
| rowspan="2" |CX
|-
|Connex South Eastern
|South Eastern
|
|
|South Eastern Trains
|-
|East Coast
|InterCity East Coast
|Directly Operated Railways
|
|
|Virgin Trains East Coast
|GR
|-
|East Midlands Trains
|East Midlands
|Stagecoach
|
|
|East Midlands Railway
|EM
|-
|First Capital Connect
|Thameslink Great Northern
|FirstGroup
|
|
|Govia Thameslink Railway
|FC
|-
|First Great Eastern
|Great Eastern
|FirstGroup
|
|
|National Express East Anglia
|GE
|-
|First Great Western Link
|Thames
|FirstGroup
|
|
|First Great Western
|FK
|-
|First North Western
|North West Regional Railways
|FirstGroup
|
|
|
|NW
|-
|First ScotRail
|Scotrail
|FirstGroup
|
|
|Abellio ScotRail
|SR
|-
|First TransPennine Express
|TransPennine Express
|
|
|
|TransPennine Express
|TP
|-
|Gatwick Express
|Gatwick Express
|National Express
|
|
|Southern
|GX
|-
| Govia Thameslink Railway
|Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise
|Govia
|
|
| Greater Thameslink Railway
| GN, GX, SN, TL
|-
|Great North Eastern Railway
|InterCity East Coast
|Sea Containers
|
|
|National Express East Coast
|GR
|-
|Greater Anglia
|East Anglia
|Transport UK Group (60%)<br>Mitsui & Co (40%)
|
|
|Greater Anglia
|LE
|-
|Great Western Trains
|Great Western
|Great Western Holdings
|
|
|First Great Western
|GW
|-
|Heathrow Connect
|Open Access
|—
|Heathrow Airport Holdings, FirstGroup
|
|
|TfL Rail
|HC
|-
|Island Line
| rowspan="2" |Franchise
|Island Line
|Stagecoach
|
|
|South West Trains
|IL
|-
|London Midland
|West Midlands
|Govia
|
|
|West Midlands Trains
|LM
|-
|London Overground Rail Operations
|TfL concession
|London Overground
|
|
|
|Arriva Rail London
|LO
|-
|Merseyrail Electrics
|Merseytravel contract
|Merseyrail
|MTL
|
|
|Arriva Trains Merseyside
|ME
|-
|Midland Mainline
| rowspan="27" |Franchise
|Midland Main Line
| rowspan="3" |National Express
|
|
|East Midlands Trains
|ML
|-
|National Express East Anglia
|Greater Anglia
|
|
|Greater Anglia
|LE
|-
|National Express East Coast
|InterCity East Coast
|
|
|East Coast
|GR
|-
|Northern Rail
|Northern Rail
|Serco-Abellio
|
|
|Arriva Rail North
|NT
|-
|Northern Spirit
|Regional Railways North East
|MTL
|
|
|Arriva Trains Northern
|NS
|-
|North Western Trains
|North West Regional Railways
|Great Western Holdings
|
|
|First North Western
|NW
|-
|ScotRail
|ScotRail
| rowspan="2" |National Express
|
|
|First ScotRail
|SR
|-
|Silverlink
|North London Railways
|
|
|
|SS
|-
|Southeastern
|Integrated Kent
|Govia
|
|
|Southeastern
|SE
|-
|South Eastern Trains
|South Eastern
|Strategic Rail Authority
|
|
|Southeastern
|SE
|-
|South Western Railway
|South Western
|FirstGroup (70%)<br>MTR Corporation (30%)
|
|
|South Western Railway
|SW
|-
|South West Trains
|South Western
|Stagecoach
|
|
|South Western Railway
|SW
|-
|Southern
|South Central
|Govia
|
|
|Govia Thameslink Railway
|SN
|-
|Thames Trains
|Thames
|Go-Ahead Group
|
|
|First Great Western Link
|TT
|-
|Thameslink
|Thameslink
|Govia
|
|
|First Capital Connect
|TR
|-
|TransPennine Express
|TransPennine Express
|FirstGroup
|
|
|TransPennine Trains<br>(trading as TransPennine Express)
|TP
|-
|KeolisAmey Wales
|Wales & Borders
|KeolisAmey
|
|
|Transport for Wales Rail
|AW
|-
|Valley Lines
|Valley Lines
|National Express
|
|
|Wales & Borders
|VL
|-
|Virgin Trains East Coast
|InterCity East Coast
|
|
|
|London North Eastern Railway
|GR
|-
|Virgin CrossCountry
|CrossCountry
| rowspan="2" |Virgin Rail Group
|
|
|
|VXC
|-
|Virgin Trains West Coast
|InterCity West Coast
|
|
|Avanti West Coast
|VT
|-
|West Anglia Great Northern (West Anglia Main Line and Lea Valley Lines)
|West Anglia Great Northern
|National Express
|
|
|One
| rowspan="2" |WN
|-
|West Anglia Great Northern (Great Northern and Fenline routes)
|West Anglia Great Northern
|National Express
|
|
|First Capital Connect
|-
|Wales & Borders
|Wales & Borders
|National Express
|
|
|Arriva Trains Wales
|WB
|-
|Wales & West
|Wales & West
|National Express
|
|
|
|WW
|-
|West Midlands Trains
|West Midlands
|
|
|
|West Midlands Trains
|LM
|-
|Wessex Trains
|Wessex
|National Express
|
|
|First Great Western
|WE
|-
|Wrexham & Shropshire
|Open access
|Wrexham to London
|DB Regio
|
|
|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 Grand Central on the Belfast-Dublin line joint venture between Northern Ireland Railways and Iarnród Éireann.
UK Railtour operators
- Scottish Railway Preservation Society
- Venice-Simplon Orient Express (British Pullman and Northern Belle services)
- Vintage Trains
- West Coast Railways
- Locomotive Services Limited (Including Steam Dreams, InterCity, Blue Pullman, Saphos Trains, and Statesman Rail)
- Hanson and Hall
Luxury railtours
- Belmond Royal Scotsman
- Belmond Brittanic Explorer
In Northern Ireland
- Enthusiast railtours
- Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
- Irish Railway Record Society
- The Modern Railway Society of Ireland
Defunct:
- Compass Tours
- Belmond Grand Hibernian
Freight operators
- Colas Rail
- DCRail
- Direct Rail Services
- DB Cargo UK (formerly English Welsh & Scottish Railway)
- Freightliner
- GB Railfreight
- Mendip Rail
- RailAdventure
Franchised passenger operator structure in Great Britain
{|class="wikitable"
!Sector of British Rail
!Franchise
!Pre-grouping company
!Original privatised operator
!Current operator(s)
|-
! rowspan="6" |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
|-
! rowspan="7" |Network SouthEast
!Chiltern
|Great Central Railway
| colspan="2" |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<br>Connex South Central<br>West Anglia Great Northern<br/>(Great Northern and Fenline routes)
|Thameslink<br>Southern<br>Great Northern<br>(Govia Thameslink Railway)
|-
!West Midlands
|N/A
|Central Trains
|West Midlands Railway<br>London Northwestern Railway<br>(West Midlands Trains)
|-
! rowspan="4" |Regional Railways
!Wales & Borders
| rowspan="3" |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,<br />Great North of Scotland Railway, Highland Railway and<br />North British Railway
|ScotRail
|ScotRail
|}
See also
- Passenger rail franchising in Great Britain (for detailed information about the history of each franchise)
References
External links
- List of Train Operating Companies on the National Rail website
- Map of Train Operating Companies on the National Rail website
- Barry Doe's colour-coded map showing operator(s) on each route (Large PDF)