Editing Train operating company

{{Short description|Companies which operate passenger trains in Great Britain}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}

In the [[Rail transport in Great Britain|railway system of Great Britain]], a '''train operating company''' ('''TOC''') is a [[railway undertaking]] operating [[passenger trains]] under the collective [[National Rail]] brand. TOCs have existed since the [[Privatisation of British Rail|privatisation]] of the network under the [[Railways Act 1993]].

There are two types of TOC: most hold [[Passenger rail franchising in Great Britain|franchises]] let by the [[Department for Transport]] (DfT) through a tendering system, to operate services on certain routes for a specified duration, while a small number of [[open-access operator]]s hold licences to provide supplementary services on chosen routes. These operators can run services for the duration of the licence validity. The franchised operators have changed considerably since privatisation: previous franchises have been divided, merged, re-let to new operators, or renamed. Some privately-operated franchises have been taken over by a government-owned [[operator of last resort]], due either to failing expectations or to events on the rail system as a whole.

The term is also sometimes used to describe companies operating passenger or freight rail services over tracks owned by another company or a national network owner.

==Management==
Franchises were initially let by the [[Director of Passenger Rail Franchising|Office of Passenger Rail Franchising]] (OPRAF). This was in turn replaced by the [[Strategic Rail Authority]], which has since been abolished. For England, franchising is now the responsibility of the [[Department for Transport]] in the majority of cases. In Scotland, it is the responsibility of [[Transport Scotland]]. In Wales, since 2017, the responsibility for the specification and procurement of the [[Wales & Borders franchise]] belongs to [[Transport for Wales]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Champion|first=Joseph|date=July 2016|title=Research Briefing Rail Franchising in Wales|url=https://senedd.wales/Research%20Documents/16-043%20Rail%20Franchising%20in%20Wales/16-043-Web-English.pdf|website=Senedd.wales|publisher=National Assembly for Wales Research Service}}</ref> In two parts of England, local government agencies are responsible: in [[Merseyside]], the [[Merseytravel|Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive]] lets the [[Merseyrail]] franchise, while in London, [[Transport for London]] (TfL) oversees the new [[London Overground]] and [[Elizabeth line]] concessions. ([[London Underground]], a wholly owned subsidiary of [[Transport for London]], operates trains nearly all on its own network serving mostly its own stations: It is not a Train Operating Company by the definition here.)

The [[Rail Delivery Group]] (RDG) (formerly the Association of Train Operating Companies) provides a commonality for the TOCs and provides some centralised co-ordination. Its activities include the provision of a national timetable and online journey planner facility, and the operation of the various [[Concessionary fares on the British railway network#Railcards|Railcard]] discount schemes. [[Eurostar International|Eurostar]] is also a member of the RDG, though it is not itself a TOC.

==Organisation==
For historical and geographical reasons the railway network of the United Kingdom is split into two independent systems: one in [[Great Britain]] (including the [[Isle of Wight]]), and one in Northern Ireland, which is closely linked to the railway system of the Republic of Ireland.

=== Great Britain ===
In Great Britain, passenger train services are operated by a number of companies, referred to as ''Train Operating Companies'' or TOCs, normally on the basis of regional franchises awarded by the DfT Rail Group. Until 2005 this role was performed by the [[Strategic Rail Authority]]. The infrastructure of the railways in England, Scotland, and Wales&nbsp;– including tracks and [[railway signalling|signalling]]&nbsp;– is owned and operated not by the train companies but by [[Network Rail]], which took over responsibility from [[Railtrack]] in 2002. Most passenger trains are owned by a small number of [[Rolling stock company|rolling stock companies]] (ROSCO) and are leased to the individual TOCs. However, a handful of TOCs own and maintain some of their own rolling stock. Train operating companies also operate most of the network's [[train station|stations]], in their role as station facility owners (SFO), in which they lease the buildings and associated land from Network Rail.<ref>[http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/rus%20documents/route%20utilisation%20strategies/network/working%20group%202%20-%20stations/investmentinstations.pdf Investment in stations: a guide for promoters and developers] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150401052346/http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/rus%20documents/route%20utilisation%20strategies/network/working%20group%202%20-%20stations/investmentinstations.pdf |date=1 April 2015 }}, Network Rail, May 2011</ref> Network Rail manages some [[:Category:Network Rail managed stations|major railway stations]] and several stations are operated by [[London Underground]] or other companies.

Most passenger TOCs in Great Britain are privately owned. The majority of these hold [[Rail franchising in Great Britain|franchises]] to operate rail services on specific parts of the railway and come under the auspices of the National Rail brand. In addition, companies are able to bid for "paths" (specific parts of the overall National Rail timetable) to operate their own services, which the franchises do not operate&nbsp;– these operators are classed as [[open-access operator]]s and are not franchise holders. Currently in Great Britain, there are three open-access operators: [[Hull Trains]], which runs services between [[London King's Cross railway station|London King's Cross]] and [[Hull Paragon Interchange|Hull]], [[Grand Central (train operating company)|Grand Central]], which operates between King's Cross and [[Sunderland railway station|Sunderland]] and between  King's Cross and [[Bradford Interchange|Bradford]], and [[Lumo (train operating company)|Lumo]], which operates between  King's Cross and [[Edinburgh Waverley railway station|Edinburgh Waverley]]. In addition, there are operators that fall outside the purview of National Rail, which operate specific services which are recent additions to Britain's railways. The main examples are Eurostar, which operates to continental Europe via the [[Channel Tunnel]], and [[Heathrow Express]], which runs fast services from London to [[Heathrow Airport]].

A number of metropolitan railways on the network are operated by the local franchise holder in conjunction with the [[passenger transport executive]] or other civic body responsible for administering public transport. One of these bodies, the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive (Merseytravel) is responsible for one of three National Rail franchises not awarded by central government, namely the Merseyrail franchise, while certain National Rail services in North London came under the control of TfL in November 2007 as London Overground. Two other franchises, the Scottish national franchise, currently operated by [[ScotRail]], and the Welsh domestic franchise, operated by [[Transport for Wales Rail|Transport for Wales]], are awarded by the devolved governments of the two constituent nations.

The Rail Delivery Group is the coordinating body of the train operating companies in Great Britain and owns the National Rail brand, which uses the former [[British Rail]] double-arrow logo and organises the common ticketing structure. Many of the train operating companies are in fact parts of larger companies which operate multiple franchises.

===Current operators===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!style="width: 20em;"|Parent
!Train operating companies
|-
|[[Arriva UK Trains]]
|[[Arriva Rail London]] (LO), [[Chiltern Railways]] (CH), [[CrossCountry]] (XC), [[Grand Central (train operating company)|Grand Central]] (GC)
|-
|[[DfT Operator]] ([[Department for Transport]])
|[[London North Eastern Railway]] (GR), [[Northern Trains]] (NR), [[Southeastern (train operating company)|Southeastern]] (SE), [[TransPennine Express]] (TP), [[South Western Railway]] (SW)
|-
|[[East Japan Railway Company]]
|[[West Midlands Trains]] (WM) (15%)
|-
|[[FirstGroup]]
|[[Avanti West Coast]] (VT) (70%), [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]] (GW), [[Hull Trains]] (HT), [[Lumo (train operating company)|Lumo]] (LD)
|-
|[[Go-Ahead Group]]
|[[Govia Thameslink Railway]] (GN, GX, SN, TL) (65%)
|-
|[[Keolis]]
|[[Govia Thameslink Railway]] (GN, GX, SN, TL) (35%)
|-
|[[Mitsui]]
|[[Greater Anglia]] (GA) (40%), [[West Midlands Trains]] (WM) (15%)
|-
|[[GTS Rail Operations]]
|[[Elizabeth line]] (XR)
|-
|[[Scottish Rail Holdings]] ([[Scottish Government]])
|[[Caledonian Sleeper]] (CS), [[ScotRail]] (SR)
|-
|[[Serco]] 
|[[Merseyrail]] (ME) (50%)
|-
|[[Transport UK Group]] 
|[[East Midlands Railway]] (EM), [[Greater Anglia]] (GA) (60%), [[Merseyrail]] (ME) (50%), [[West Midlands Trains]] (WM) (70%)
|-
|[[Transport for Wales]] ([[Welsh Government]]) 
|[[Transport for Wales Rail]]
|-
|[[Trenitalia]]
|[[Avanti West Coast]] (VT) (30%), [[c2c]] (CC)
|}

=== Northern Ireland ===
The railway network in Northern Ireland is managed differently from that of the rest of the UK. The sole company in Northern Ireland that operates trains is [[NI Railways]], which is a subsidiary of [[Translink (Northern Ireland)|Translink]], the publicly owned transport corporation, which also runs the [[Metro (Belfast)|Metro]] buses in Belfast and [[Ulsterbus]] coaches around the country. NIR is not a TOC under the terms of the [[Railways Act 1993]], which applies only to Great Britain. The cross-border service ''[[Enterprise (train)|Enterprise]]'' (Belfast–Dublin) is jointly operated with [[Iarnród Éireann]], the publicly owned national railway company of the Republic of Ireland.

==Changes==
Upon privatisation in 1994, the three passenger-operating sectors of [[British Rail]] ([[InterCity (British Rail)|InterCity]], [[Network SouthEast]] and [[Regional Railways]]) were divided, and their existing operations were let as 25 franchises:

===1990{{ndash}}1999===
====1994====
The privatisation process began when BR's passenger sectors were divided into 25 train operating units which were gradually incorporated as publicly owned subsidiaries of the British Railways Board. They acted as [[shadow franchise]]s<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.parliament.uk/briefingpapers/commons/lib/research/briefings/snbt-01157.pdf |title= Railways: privatisation, 1987-1996 |access-date=14 September 2010 |publisher= House of Commons Library |date=18 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101013201522/http://www.parliament.uk/briefingpapers/commons/lib/research/briefings/snbt-01157.pdf |archive-date=13 October 2010 }}</ref> prior to being put to tender:

;[[InterCity (British Rail)|InterCity]]
{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
* CrossCountry
* [[InterCity East Coast|East Coast]]
* Gatwick Express
* Great Eastern
* Great Western Railway
* Midland Main Line
* [[InterCity West Coast|West Coast]]
}}
;[[Network SouthEast]]
{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
* Chiltern Lines
* Island Line
* [[Essex Thameside|LTS Rail]]
* North London Railways
* [[Network SouthCentral]]
* SouthEastern
* South Western Railway
* Thameslink
* Thames Trains
* West Anglia Great Northern
}}
;[[Regional Railways]]
{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
* Anglia Railways
* Cardiff Railway Company
* Central Trains
* Mersey Rail Electrics
* North West Regional Railways
* Regional Railways North East
* ScotRail
* South Wales & West Railway
}}
The opening of the [[Channel Tunnel]] saw operations by [[Eurostar International|Eurostar]] begin from [[Waterloo International railway station|London Waterloo]] to [[Paris]] and [[Brussels]].

====1996/97====
The franchising process was implemented, with various private companies taking over the shadow franchises. Three were awarded to [[management buyout]]s. The [[Great Western Holdings]]' management also were awarded the North West Regional Railways franchise. The remainder were divided between a handful of major transport operators:
{| class="wikitable"
|+Initial franchisees and operating companies following British Rail privatisation
|-
!style="width: 20em;"|Franchise holder
!Train Operating Company
!Notes
|-
|[[Veolia Transport|Connex]]
|[[Connex South Central]], [[Connex South Eastern]]
|
|-
|[[FirstGroup|FirstBus]]
|[[First Great Eastern]]
|plus 24.5% shareholding in [[Great Western Holdings]]
|-
|[[GB Railways]]
|[[Anglia Railways]]
|
|-
|[[Go-Ahead Group]]
|[[Thames Trains]]
|Go-Ahead Group (65%), Management (35%)
|-
|[[Govia]]
|[[Thameslink (train operating company 1997–2006)|Thameslink]]
|
|-
|[[Great Western Holdings]]
|[[Great Western Trains]], [[North Western Trains]]
|Management (51%), [[FirstGroup|FirstBus]] (24.5%), [[3i]] (24.5%)
|-
|M40 Trains
|[[Chiltern Railways]]
|Management (51%), [[John Laing Group|John Laing]] (26%), [[3i]] (23%)
|-
|[[MTL (transport company)|MTL]]
|[[Merseyrail Electrics]], [[Arriva Trains Northern|Northern Spirit]]
|
|-
|[[National Express]]
|[[Central Trains]], [[Gatwick Express]], [[Midland Mainline (train operating company)|Midland Mainline]], [[ScotRail (National Express)|ScotRail]], [[Silverlink]]
|
|-
|[[Prism Rail]]
|[[LTS Rail]], [[Valley Lines (train operating company)|Valley Lines]], [[Wales & West]], [[West Anglia Great Northern|WAGN]]
|
|-
|[[Sea Containers]]
|[[GNER]]
|
|-
|[[Stagecoach Group]]
|[[Island Line (train operating company)|Island Line Trains]], [[South West Trains]]
|
|-
|[[Virgin Rail Group]]
|[[Virgin CrossCountry]], [[Virgin Trains West Coast]]
|
|}

In Northern Ireland, NIR stopped using its own branding on the ''Enterprise'' service between [[Belfast]] and [[Dublin]] when it purchased new rolling stock in conjunction with IÉ, instead launching [[Enterprise (train)|Enterprise]] as a separate brand name.

====1998====
[[Great Western Holdings]], which operated Great Western Trains and North West Trains, became a 100% [[FirstGroup]] subsidiary when the 24.5% shareholder bought out its partners. The TOCs were renamed [[First Great Western]] and [[First North Western]].

[[Go-Ahead Group]] bought the remaining 35% share in [[Thames Trains]].

[[Virgin Group]] sold a 49% share in [[Virgin Rail Group]] that operated the [[Virgin CrossCountry|CrossCountry]] and [[Virgin Trains West Coast|West Coast]] franchises to [[Stagecoach Group|Stagecoach]].

The completion of the rail link to Heathrow Airport led to [[Heathrow Express]], an open-access operator outside the franchising system, beginning its services from [[Paddington railway station|London Paddington]] to Heathrow with operating rights until 2023.

==== 1999 ====
The shareholdings of M40 Trains were restructured with John Laing owning 84% of the company with the remaining 16% held by former BR managers.

===2000{{ndash}}2009===
====2000====
[[MTL (transport company)|MTL]] which operated [[Arriva Trains Merseyside|Merseyrail Electrics]] and [[Arriva Trains Northern|Northern Spirit]] and [[Prism Rail]] that operated [[c2c]] (renamed from LTS Rail earlier in the year), [[Valley Lines Trains]], [[Wales & West]], and [[West Anglia Great Northern]] were purchased by Arriva and [[National Express]] respectively, resulting in the latter owning nine franchises. The two companies transferred to Arriva were renamed Arriva Trains Merseyside and Arriva Trains Northern.

The first [[open access operator]] using the National Rail brand, [[Hull Trains]], commenced running its services between King's Cross and [[Hull Paragon Interchange|Hull]].

====2001====
In 2001, [[Veolia Transport|Connex]], which had operated two franchises in the south-east of England, were replaced as the operator of the [[Network SouthCentral]] franchise by [[Govia]], who began operating it under the name [[Southern (train operating company)|South Central]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/988016.stm Connex loses rail franchise] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026094840/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/988016.stm |date=26 October 2012 }} ''[[BBC News]]'' 24 October 2000</ref>

Also in 2001, a new franchise, the Wales & Borders franchise was created by the amalgamation of [[Valley Lines (train operating company)|Valley Lines]] and the majority of services in Wales and the Borders held by [[Wales & West]]. The new franchise was initially operated under the name [[Wales & Borders]]. The remainder of Wales & West's services in the west of England were renamed [[Wessex Trains]].

==== 2002 ====
John Laing bought out its partners in M40 Trains.

====2003====
[[Veolia Transport|Connex]], having already lost the [[Connex South Central|South Central]] franchise in 2001, was removed as franchisee of the [[Connex South Eastern|South Eastern]] franchise in 2003 on the grounds of poor financial management. It was replaced as the franchise holder by [[South Eastern Trains]], a company wholly owned by the [[Strategic Rail Authority]], which would operate the franchise until it could be tendered again. New franchise holders [[Arriva Trains Wales]] and Merseyrail began operating. [[FirstGroup]] purchased [[GB Railways]] which owned the [[Anglia Railways]] and [[Hull Trains]] businesses.

====2004====
A policy where the majority of services (both long-distance and commuter) from each [[London railway station|London terminal]] would all be operated by the same franchise was partially enacted. In April 2004, [[National Express East Anglia|One]] commenced operating the [[East Anglia franchise|Greater Anglia franchise]] that combined the [[Anglia Railways]] and [[First Great Eastern]] franchises with the [[West Anglia Great Northern]] services radiating out from [[Liverpool Street station|Liverpool Street]]. The remainder continuing to be operated as [[West Anglia Great Northern|WAGN]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/norfolk/3339841.stm First Group loses out on rail franchise] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507154009/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/norfolk/3339841.stm |date=7 May 2018 }} ''BBC News'' 22 December 2003</ref>

In the North of England, prior to 2004 there were two regional franchises, the [[Arriva Trains Northern|North East Regional franchise]] and the [[First North Western|North West Regional franchise]]. In 2004, these were altered into the TransPennine franchise, for intercity services, and the Northern franchise, for local services that were awarded to [[First TransPennine Express]] and [[Northern Rail]] respectively. Some North West services were transferred to the [[Arriva Trains Wales]] franchise.

In the same year, [[Thames Trains]] was superseded by [[First Great Western Link]] and [[ScotRail (National Express)]] by [[First ScotRail]].

====2005====
A new operator, [[Heathrow Connect]], jointly run by [[Heathrow Airport Holdings|BAA]] and [[First Great Western]], began operating stopping services between [[Paddington railway station|London Paddington]] and Heathrow Airport complementing the Heathrow Express.

====2006====
Three new integrated franchises began operating in April 2006:
*[[First Capital Connect]], began operating the [[Thameslink, Southern & Great Northern franchise|Thameslink/Great Northern franchise]], on the cross-London [[Thameslink]] route and suburban services from London King's Cross and [[Moorgate station|London Moorgate]].
*[[First Great Western]] began operating the [[Greater Western franchise]] that combined express and local services from [[Paddington railway station|London Paddington]] to the [[West of England]] by amalgamating it with [[First Great Western Link]] and [[Wessex Trains]].
*[[Southeastern (train operating company 2006–2021)|Southeastern]] commenced operating the [[South Eastern franchise|Integrated Kent franchise]] taking over services from [[London Victoria railway station|London Victoria]], [[Charing Cross railway station|London Charing Cross]], [[Cannon Street station|London Cannon Street]] and [[Blackfriars station|London Blackfriars]] to south-east London and [[Kent]]; responsibility for high speed domestic services operated on [[High Speed 1]] from [[St Pancras railway station|London St Pancras]] was included in the franchise.

====2007====
Further integrations occurred in 2007. The first of these was the [[South Western franchise]]; this merged the original [[South West Trains]] franchise with the [[Island Line (train operating company)|Island Line Trains]] franchise on the [[Isle of Wight]] and began operating in February 2007 under the name South West Trains, with Island Line retained as a separate brand.

In November 2007, three new integrated franchises began operating:
*[[CrossCountry]], took over from [[Virgin CrossCountry]] and parts of [[Central Trains]], and operates regional inter-city services that bypass the major London terminals.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6286904.stm Virgin loses Cross Country rail] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170213092435/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6286904.stm |date=13 February 2017 }} ''BBC News'' 10 July 2007</ref>
*[[East Midlands Trains]] replaced [[Midland Mainline (train operating company)|Midland Mainline]] and parts of Central Trains encompassing inter-city services from London St Pancras as well as local services in the East Midlands
*[[London Midland]] began operating the West Midlands franchise replaced [[Silverlink]] County and parts of Central Trains and operates stopping services between [[Euston railway station|London Euston]] and [[Northampton railway station|Northampton]], in addition to local services in the West Midlands

In addition to these three, a further new operator, [[London Overground Rail Operations]], took control of the routes operated by Silverlink in London, which were combined with the extended [[East London line]] in 2011. Services are controlled directly by TfL, with running of the trains themselves contracted to a private company as an operating concession. This is different from an ordinary franchise, as the train operator is not given control of the strategic aspects of the operation, such as pricing, timetabling and rolling stock procurement.

In December 2007, [[National Express East Coast]] took over the running of the [[InterCity East Coast]] franchise from [[Great North Eastern Railway|GNER]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6945367.stm National Express wins rail route] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222000026/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6945367.stm |date=22 February 2009 }} ''BBC News'' 14 August 2007</ref> [[Grand Central (train operating company)|Grand Central]] also began operating its services between London and [[Sunderland railway station|Sunderland]] as an open access operator.

====2008====
In January 2008, Laing Rail which owned M40 Trains and a 50% shareholding in London Overground Rail Operations was sold to [[Deutsche Bahn]], becoming part of the [[DB Regio]] Group.

In February 2008, One was re-branded by National Express as [[National Express East Anglia]] to bring it into line with the East Coast franchise.

In April 2008, [[Wrexham & Shropshire]] began operating open access services between [[Wrexham General railway station|Wrexham]] and [[Marylebone station|London Marylebone]].

In June 2008, the [[Gatwick Express]] franchise was integrated with the South Central franchise operated by [[Southern (train operating company)|Southern]].

====2009====
The government announced that [[National Express East Coast]] would have its franchise to operate intercity services along the ECML terminated, and that the franchise would pass into the hands of public-sector company, [[Directly Operated Railways]], which acted as the parent for [[East Coast (train operating company)|East Coast]].<ref>{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8343769.stm |title= East Coast rail change confirmed |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091108084049/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8343769.stm |archive-date=8 November 2009 |work=BBC News |date=5 November 2009 |url-status= live}}</ref>

===2010{{ndash}}2019===
====2010====
Grand Central open-access services from London to [[Bradford Interchange|Bradford]] began on 23 May 2010.<ref>[http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-west-yorkshire-news/2010/05/20/an-historic-journey-to-london-with-grand-central-west-riding-service-86081-26481173/ An historic journey to London with Grand Central West Riding Service] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130420134219/http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-west-yorkshire-news/2010/05/20/an-historic-journey-to-london-with-grand-central-west-riding-service-86081-26481173/ |date=20 April 2013 }} ''[[Huddersfield Daily Examiner]]'' 20 May 2010</ref>

====2011====
DB Regio's operations in the UK were integrated into those of Arriva following the acquisition of the latter by Deutsche Bahn in the previous year.

Owing to continuing losses, [[Wrexham & Shropshire]] ceased operating on 28 January 2011.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12284468 |title= Wrexham-Shropshire-London direct rail link to end |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160629142859/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12284468 |archive-date=29 June 2016  |work=BBC News |date=26 January 2011 |url-status= live}}</ref>

====2012====
[[Abellio Greater Anglia]] began operating the [[East Anglia franchise|Greater Anglia franchise]] on 5 February 2012.<ref>[http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/abellio-awarded-greater-anglia-franchise.html Abellio awarded Greater Anglia franchise] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111023103520/http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/abellio-awarded-greater-anglia-franchise.html |date=23 October 2011 }} ''[[Railway Gazette International]]'' 20 October 2011</ref>

In September 2012, [[FirstGroup]] was awarded the right to operate the [[InterCity West Coast|West Coast franchise]] which provoked a backlash from incumbent Virgin Trains West Coast. As a result of the Department for Transport having provided incorrect information during the bid process, the offer was withdrawn in October 2012 and £40 million of bid costs refunded.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19880903 |title=West Coast Main Line: Taxpayers 'at risk' in rail bid |date=9 October 2012 |work=BBC News |access-date=10 October 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009115255/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19880903 |archive-date=9 October 2012 }}</ref>

====2014====
In September 2014, [[Govia Thameslink Railway]] took over services formerly operated by [[First Capital Connect]] as part of the [[Thameslink, Southern & Great Northern franchise]] and branded them as Thameslink and Great Northern.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27534731 Govia wins Thameslink rail franchise] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140524113041/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27534731 |date=24 May 2014 }} ''BBC News'' 23 May 2014</ref> Services operated by [[Southern (train operating company)|Southern]], another Govia subsidiary, were merged into the new franchise in the following year.

Hull Trains became a 100% subsidiary of FirstGroup when the 80% shareholder bought out its partners.

====2015====
In March 2015, a [[Stagecoach Group|Stagecoach]] and [[Virgin Group|Virgin]] joint venture trading as [[Virgin Trains East Coast]] commenced operating the [[InterCity East Coast]] franchise.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/business-30222458 Stagecoach and Virgin win East Coast mainline rail franchise] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141128143803/http://www.bbc.com/news/business-30222458 |date=28 November 2014 }} ''BBC News'' 27 November 2014</ref>

In April 2015, the [[ScotRail (brand)|ScotRail franchise]] was split with the [[Caledonian Sleeper]] services becoming a stand-alone franchise operated by [[Serco]] while the remaining services remained as the [[Abellio ScotRail]] franchise.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-27599963 Serco wins franchise for Caledonian sleeper train service] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529084953/http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-27599963 |date=29 May 2014 }} ''BBC News'' 28 May 2014</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-29531099 "Dutch firms wins ScotRail franchise from FirstGroup"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421080619/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-29531099 |date=21 April 2016 }} ''BBC News'' 8 October 2014</ref>

In May 2015, a number of metro routes run by [[Abellio Greater Anglia]] from London Liverpool Street were transferred to TfL to run as a concession similar to both London Overground and Crossrail (under the name, [[TfL Rail]]). The routes transferred were those to {{stnlnk|Shenfield}}, {{stnlnk|Enfield Town}}, {{stnlnk|Chingford}}, {{stnlnk|Cheshunt}}, {{stnlnk|Romford}} and {{stnlnk|Upminster}}.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/tfl-seeks-crossrail-operator.html |title= TfL seeks Crossrail operator |date= 12 March 2013 |work= Railway Gazette International |access-date= 15 March 2013 |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130315071156/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/tfl-seeks-crossrail-operator.html |archive-date= 15 March 2013 }}</ref>

====2016====
In April 2016, FirstGroup trading as [[TransPennine Express (2016–2023)|TransPennine Express]] commenced operating the TransPennine Express in its own right, previously having done so in a joint venture with [[Keolis]].<ref>[http://www.firstgroupplc.com/news-and-media/latest-news/2015/09-12-15.aspx FirstGroup plc welcomes award of TransPennine Express rail franchise] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304093802/http://www.firstgroupplc.com/news-and-media/latest-news/2015/09-12-15.aspx |date=4 March 2016 }} FirstGroup 9 December 2015</ref> On the same date, [[Arriva Rail North]] commenced operating the Northern franchise.

In November 2016, [[Arriva Rail London]] took over the London Overground concession from [[London Overground Rail Operations]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35841733 Arriva wins £1.5bn London Overground contract] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321012512/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35841733 |date=21 March 2016 }} ''BBC News'' 18 March 2016</ref>

====2017====
In February 2017, National Express sold its subsidiary c2c to [[Trenitalia]].

In March 2017, Abellio sold a 40% share in [[Abellio Greater Anglia]] to [[Mitsui & Co.|Mitsui]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-39341380 Abellio deal: Japanese firm Mitsui completes 40% Greater Anglia sale] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170529154551/http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-39341380 |date=29 May 2017 }} ''BBC News'' 21 March 2017</ref>

In August 2017, a FirstGroup/MTR joint venture trading as [[South Western Railway]] commenced operating the [[South Western franchise]].<ref>[http://www.firstgroupplc.com/about-firstgroup/uk-rail/improving-south-western-railway.aspx South Western Railway] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822160003/http://www.firstgroupplc.com/about-firstgroup/uk-rail/improving-south-western-railway.aspx |date=22 August 2017 }} FirstGroup</ref>

In December 2017, an Abellio, [[East Japan Railway Company]] and Mitsui joint venture trading as [[West Midlands Trains]] commenced operating the West Midlands franchise.

====2018====
In May 2018, the Government announced that Virgin Trains East Coast's contract would be terminated early due to financial difficulties. In June 2018, the company was replaced by the government-owned operator of last resort [[London North Eastern Railway]].

In May 2018, [[TfL Rail]] took over the [[Heathrow Connect]] services, which led to the introduction of Oyster and Contactless payment to Heathrow Airport for the first time on National Rail.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Rail-News/tfl-takes-over-heathrow-connect-services-in-elizabeth-line-milestone-|title=TfL takes over Heathrow Connect services in Elizabeth line milestone|website=www.railtechnologymagazine.com|access-date=25 November 2019}}</ref>

In October 2018, [[KeolisAmey Wales|Transport for Wales]] took over the [[Wales & Borders franchise]] from [[Arriva Trains Wales]].

====2019====
In August 2019, [[East Midlands Railway]] took over the East Midlands franchise from [[East Midlands Trains]].<ref>{{cite press release |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190410070003/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/more-seats-services-and-state-of-the-art-trains-for-passengers-on-new-east-midlands-railway |archive-date=10 April 2019 |url-status=live |title=More seats, services and state-of-the-art trains for passengers on new East Midlands railway |publisher=Department for Transport |date=10 April 2019 |url= https://www.gov.uk/government/news/more-seats-services-and-state-of-the-art-trains-for-passengers-on-new-east-midlands-railway}}</ref>

In December 2019, [[Avanti West Coast]] began operating the new [[West Coast Partnership]] replacing Virgin Trains West Coast.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190814060832/https://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/FGP/14187853.html FirstGroup and Trenitalia welcome West Coast Partnership Award] FirstGroup 14 August 2019</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50704187 |work=BBC News |title=Avanti starts running West Coast Main Line |date=8 December 2019 |access-date=9 December 2019}}</ref>

===2020 onwards===
====2020====
On 1 March 2020, operation of the Northern franchise transferred from Arriva Rail North to the UK government-owned [[Northern Trains]].

Because the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom]] caused passenger numbers to reduce to near zero, the UK government took emergency action to support train operating companies by assuming their financial risks. The companies were not allowed to make timetable or staffing changes without government approval. The [[Office for National Statistics]] reclassified the companies as public non-financial corporations so borrowing and employees are counted in the public-sector. They were viewed as effectively temporarily renationalised.<ref name=guardian-20200731>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jul/31/ons-says-uk-rail-has-effectively-been-renationalised-during-pandemic |title=ONS says UK rail has effectively been renationalised during pandemic |last=Davies |first=Rob |newspaper=The Guardian |date=31 July 2020 |access-date=31 July 2020}}</ref>

====2021====
On 7 February 2021, the day-to-day operations of the Wales & Borders franchise were transferred to the Welsh-government-owned operator of last resort, [[Transport for Wales Rail]], a subsidiary of [[Transport for Wales]].<ref>{{cite news|date=22 October 2020|title=Transport for Wales rail services to be nationalised|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-54635421|access-date=7 November 2020}}</ref><ref name="TfW20210208">{{Cite press release |title=Welsh rail franchise now in public ownership |url= https://news.tfw.wales/news/welsh-rail-franchise-now-in-public-ownership |access-date=10 February 2021 |date=8 February 2021 |publisher= Transport for Wales }}</ref>

On 17 October 2021, the [[South Eastern franchise]] was taken over from [[London & South Eastern Railway]] by government-owned operator of last resort [[Southeastern (train operating company)|Southeastern]].<ref>[https://www.railjournal.com/financial/british-government-takes-over-southeastern-following-franchise-breach/ British government takes over Southeastern franchise following franchise breach] ''[[International Railway Journal]]'' 28 September 2021</ref>

On 25 October 2021, [[Lumo (train operating company)|Lumo]] commenced operating open-access services on the East Coast Main Line between London King's Cross and Edinburgh.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-36273407 |title= First Group to run Edinburgh to London budget rail service |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160516170802/http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-36273407 |archive-date=16 May 2016 |work=BBC News |date=12 May 2016 |url-status= live}}</ref>

====2022====
On 1 April 2022, [[ScotRail]], owned by [[Scottish Rail Holdings]] for the [[Scottish Government]], commenced operating the ScotRail franchise.<ref>Operator of Last Resort to take over ScotRail franchise ''[[Rail (magazine)|Rail]]'' issue 927 24 March 2021 page 11</ref><ref>ScotRail to be Nationalised ''[[Rail Express]]'' issue 300 May 2021 page 6</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=17 March 2021|title=Scotland's train operator ScotRail to be nationalised|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-36273407|access-date=17 March 2021}}</ref>

On 24 May 2022, [[TfL Rail]], operated by MTR, was rebranded as [[Elizabeth line]], following the opening of the core section between [[London Paddington|Paddington]] and {{rws|Abbey Wood}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.crossrail.co.uk/construction/our-plan-to-complete-the-elizabeth-line/|title=Our Plan to Complete the Elizabeth Line|website=Crossrail|language=en|access-date=22 July 2019|archive-date=4 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704233718/http://www.crossrail.co.uk/construction/our-plan-to-complete-the-elizabeth-line/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In December 2022, [[Grand Union (train operating company)|Grand Union]], an [[open access operator]], was authorised by the [[Office of Rail and Road]] to operate trains between London Paddington and {{rws|Carmarthen}} starting in December 2024.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-63819582 | title = Trains: Plans for new London-west Wales services approved |date=1 December 2022 |work=[[BBC News]]|location=[[Cardiff]]|publisher=[[BBC Cymru Wales]] |access-date=1 December 2022}}</ref>

====2023====
On 28 May 2023, after months of continued cancellations and service disruptions, [[TransPennine Express (2016-2023)|FirstGroup's TransPennine Express]] contract was not renewed. [[DfT OLR Holdings]]'s [[TransPennine Express]] took over the service.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 May 2023 |title=TransPennine Express loses contract over poor service |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65555262 |last1=Jordan|first1=Dearbail|last2=Austin|first2=Katy|last3=Espiner|first3=Tom|work=[[BBC News]]|location=[[London]]|access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref>

On 25 June 2023, [[Scottish Rail Holdings]] took over the [[Caledonian Sleeper]] service from [[Serco]].<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-64802833 | title = Caledonian Sleeper rail service to be nationalised |work=[[BBC News]] |location=[[Glasgow]]|publisher=[[BBC Scotland]]|last=Bennett|first=Magnus| date = 2 March 2023 | access-date = 2 March 2023}}</ref>

====2024====
On 3 December 2024, after the [[Starmer ministry|Starmer government]] passed legislation to re-nationalise passenger rail in Great Britain, the government announced that the [[South Western franchise|South Western rail area]] would be taken back into public ownership following the expiry of [[South Western Railway (2017–2025)|South Western Railway]]'s contract in May 2025.<ref name = pubowner >{{cite news | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ceqlnrgjr79o | work = BBC News | title = South Western Railway to be renationalised by Labour | first1 = Tom | last1 = Espiner | date = 3 December 2024 | access-date = 3 December 2024}}</ref> The South Western area will be the first area to be re-nationalised.<ref name = pubowner />

==Railtours==

{{Main|Railtour}}

The privatisation of British Rail allowed the introduction of [[open-access operator]]s, in which companies, upon payment of a fee, could purchase individual slots on the mainline. This has led to the growth in companies offering charter trains, and to the [[railtour]]. Most railtour operators run services in part of the country; however, there are a handful that operate services nationwide. Usually, these will see a train made up of ex BR rolling stock pulled by a hired locomotive from one of the freight companies. Occasionally, a preserved ex BR locomotive that is certified to run on the mainline will be made available for such charters.

==Sea links==
A number of coastal railway stations in the United Kingdom serve to provide connections to ferry services to a number of destinations. 

Most of the ferry operators in these cases set their timetable to run in conjunction with the arrivals and departures of rail services from the stations serving the ferry terminals. 

A handful of these even offer integrated pricing for both rail and ferry travel&nbsp;– because the [[Island Line, Isle of Wight|Island Line]] is part of the National Rail network, passengers can purchase tickets for travel to any of the stations on the Isle of Wight from any other station in Great Britain. This ticket also covers the cost of passage on the [[Wightlink]] catamaran from [[Portsmouth Harbour railway station|Portsmouth Harbour]] to [[Ryde Pier Head railway station|Ryde Pier Head]]. It is also possible to purchase ferry inclusive tickets from any station in Great Britain to [[Cowes]] or [[East Cowes]] on the Isle of Wight using [[Red Funnel]] ferries, although there are no rail connections from these towns. 

==International operators==
There are two main international services which operate on the railways in the United Kingdom:
*Eurostar – runs between London St Pancras, [[Gare du Nord|Paris Gare du Nord]], [[Bruxelles Gare du Midi / Brussel-Zuid railway station|Bruxelles Gare du Midi/Brussel Zuidstation / Brussels South]] and [[Amsterdam Centraal station|Amsterdam Centraal]] through the [[Channel Tunnel]].
*[[Enterprise (train)|Enterprise]] – operates on the Irish network between [[Belfast Grand Central station|Belfast Grand Central]] and [[Dublin Connolly]].

A third service which is worth mentioning is [[Dutchflyer]] (GoLondon in the Netherlands). This is not a separate rail service in itself as the others are, but a collaboration between [[Greater Anglia (train operating company)|Greater Anglia]], [[Stena Line]] and [[Nederlandse Spoorwegen]] to provide an integrated rail/sea/rail service between eastern England ([[Liverpool Street station|London Liverpool Street]], [[Cambridge railway station|Cambridge]], [[Norwich railway station|Norwich]]) and The Netherlands ([[Amsterdam Centraal]]) using a single ticket.

A further international service is provided by [[Venice Simplon Orient Express]]. Although this is primarily a railtour operator with special trains to various locations in the United Kingdom, it also operates the scheduled Orient Express service to destinations in Europe. This involves two separate trains; the ''[[Belmond British Pullman]]'' departs from [[London Victoria railway station|London Victoria]] and terminates at [[Folkestone West railway station|Folkestone West]], where passengers transfer by coach through the Channel Tunnel to Calais; at [[Gare de Calais-Ville]], they then join the ''[[Orient Express]]'' which then calls at various destinations including Paris, Vienna, Innsbruck, Venice and Rome.

== In other countries ==
The differentiation between train operating companies and railway infrastructure companies was enforced by [[European Union]] legislation and can be found in all EU member countries.

In Germany, train operating companies (''Eisenbahnverkehrsunternehmen'' – EVU) are defined by General Railways Act 1993, s. 2(1) (Allgemeines Eisenbahngesetz (AEG), enacted 27 December 1993) as companies providing train services. They are distinct from ''Eisenbahninfrastrukturunternehmen'' (EIU), which own and maintain the railway infrastructure. While there are many private EVU, that have obtained regional franchises, only a handful of long-distance EVU exist (the largest by fare being [[DB Fernverkehr]]); the infrastructure is also almost completely owned by [[Deutsche Bahn]] subsidiaries.

==See also==

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

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{UK TOCs|current|state=collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Train operating companies in the United Kingdom|*]]
[[Category:Post-privatisation British railway companies]]
[[Category:Privatisation of British Rail]]
[[Category:Railway companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Rail transport operators]]