List of companies operating trains in the United Kingdom.html



There are a number of companies operating trains in the United Kingdom. These include the operators of passenger services, which are, rather confusingly, officially referred to as "train operating companies" or TOCs, as distinct from "freight operating companies".

Passenger operators in Great Britain

Current passenger operators

The following operate the services that comprise the National Rail network in Great Britain.

There are also several heritage lines and light rail systems.

Defunct operating companies

A number of operating companies have ceased to exist for a number of reasons, including premature withdrawal of the franchise; the natural term of the franchise has expired; bankruptcy; or there has been a merger.

Future Operators

Franchises

• South Central franchise

Prospective operators

• Grand Central has proposed running services between London and Bradford along the West Coast Main Line, and for proposed semi-fast services between Bradford and Doncaster under the name Grand Union.
• Renaissance Trains, the owner of Wrexham & Shropshire, has proposed running services to several destinations under a number of brand names:
  • Glasgow Trains has proposed to run services between Glasgow to Blackpool, Liverpool and Nottingham.
  • Humber Coast & City Railway are planning to run services between Cleethorpes and Lincoln to Stratford, London via Peterborough and Cambridge.
• First Harrogate Trains, with the backing of the UK's first open access operator First Hull Trains, have proposed to run services between London and Harrogate via York.

Passenger Operators in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland passenger trains are still government-owned, under the auspices of Translink. The following brands are used:

• Northern Ireland Railways - (domestic services)
• Enterprise - (Belfast-Dublin service, jointly operated by Iarnród Éireann)

Railtour operators

• Compass Tours
• DPS Railtours
• Stobart Pullman
• Pathfinder Tours
• Scottish Railway Preservation Society
• Venice-Simplon Orient Express
• Vintage Trains
• Retro Railtours
• Green Express Railtours
• Kingfisher Railtours

Freight operators

• Direct Rail Services (incorporating Stobart Rail service)
• English, Welsh and Scottish Railway
• Fastline
• Freightliner
• FirstGBRf
• Mendip Rail

References

1. ^ FTPE's website

• List of Train Operating Companies on the National Rail website
• Barry Doe's colour-coded map showing operator(s) on each route (Large PDF)