Train operating company
Encyclopedia
The term train operating company (often abbreviated to TOC) is used in the United Kingdom
to describe the various businesses operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain
under the collective National Rail
brand. They have existed since the privatisation
of the network under the Railways Act 1993
.
There are two types of TOC: the majority hold franchises
let by the government, following bids from various companies, to operate services on certain routes for a specified duration, while there are also a small number of "open-access" operators which 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.
, which has since been abolished. For England and Wales, franchising is now the responsibility of the Department for Transport
in the majority of cases. In Scotland
, it is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive
. In two parts of England, local government agencies are responsible: in Merseyside
, the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive
lets the Merseyrail
franchise, while Transport for London
oversees the new London Overground
franchise.
The Association of Train Operating Companies
(ATOC) 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 Railcard discount schemes. Eurostar
is also a member of ATOC, though it is not itself a TOC.
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
.
, 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 Department for Transport
Rail Group, until 2005 this role was carried out by the Strategic Rail Authority
. The infrastructure of the railways in England
, Scotland
, and Wales
– including tracks, signalling
, and stations – is owned and operated not by the train companies but by Network Rail
, which took over responsibility from Railtrack
in 2002. Most of the trains used to operate passenger services are owned by a small number of Rolling Stock Companies (ROSCOs) and are leased to the individual TOCs. However, a handful of TOCs own and maintain some of their own rolling stock.
All the passenger train operating companies in Great Britain
are privately owned. The majority of these own franchises
to operate rail services on specific parts of the railway and come under the auspices of National Rail. However, due to the private nature of the railways in Great Britain, companies are able to bid for "slots" (specific parts of the overall National Rail timetable) to operate their own services, which the franchises do not operate - these operators are classed as open-access operators and are not franchise holders. Currently in Great Britain, there are three open-access operators: Hull Trains, who run services between London and Hull, Grand Central, who operate between London and Sunderland, and Wrexham & Shropshire, who run between London and Wrexham. 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 via the Channel Tunnel
, and Heathrow Express
, which runs fast services 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
, is responsible for one of three National Rail franchises not awarded by central government, namely the Merseyrail
franchise, while National Rail services in North London came entirely under the control of Transport for London
in November 2007 as London Overground
. Two other franchises, the Scottish domestic franchise, currently operated by First ScotRail
, and Welsh domestic franchise, operated by Arriva Trains Wales
, are awarded by the devolved executives of the two constituent nations.
The Association of Train Operating Companies
(ATOC) 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. At first glance it may look as if a large number of companies are involved in the UK's rail system. However, many of the train operating companies are in fact parts of larger companies which operate multiple franchises. As of May 2010:
(InterCity
, Network SouthEast
and Regional Railways
) were subdivided, and their existing operations were let as 23 franchises:
process began when BR's passenger sectors were divided into 25 "shadow franchises" - these were publicly owned TOCs operating in the planned franchise areas prior to the actual franchises being put to tender:
The opening of the Channel Tunnel
saw operations by Eurostar
begin from London Waterloo to Paris
and Brussels
.
and Dublin when it purchased new rolling stock in conjunction with IÉ, instead launching Enterprise as a separate brand name.
, the owner of the original operator of inter-city services from London Paddington Great Western Trains
was sold to FirstBus. The TOC North Western Trains was also owned by Great Western Holdings
and this was included in the deal. After the takeover FirstBus was renamed FirstGroup and the TOCs renamed First Great Western
and First North Western
.
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 London Paddington
to Heathrow.
, who began operating it under the name South Central. Also in 2001, a new franchise, the Wales and Borders Franchise was created by the amalgamation of the majority of services in Wales
, along with connecting services on the English side of the England/Wales border. The new franchise was initially operated under the name Wales and Borders
.
franchise in 2001, was removed as franchisee of the South Eastern
franchise in 2003 on the grounds of "poor financial management". It was replaced as the franchise holder of the South Eastern Franchise 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.
would all be operated by the same franchise was partially enacted; since 2004, the Greater Anglia Franchise, operated by National Express Group
initially as 'one', has covered nearly all services from Liverpool Street
(as well as in East Anglia). The creation of 'one' split the former West Anglia Great Northern in two, with the remainder continuing to be operated as 'wagn'.
In the North of England, prior to 2004 there were two regional franchises, the North-East Regional Franchise and the North-West Regional Franchise. In 2004, these were altered into the TransPennine Franchise, for intercity services, and the Northern Franchise, for local services. The TransPennine Franchise was awarded to First TransPennine Express
, while the Northern Franchise was awarded to Northern Rail
.
, jointly run by BAA and First Great Western
, began operating stopping services between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport complementing the Heathrow Express
.
Three new integrated franchises began operating in April 2006:
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 September, a third open access operator, Wrexham & Shropshire was granted access rights to run services between Marylebone
and Wrexham
. Wrexham & Shropshire are scheduled to start running in the spring of 2008.
In November 2007, three new integrated franchises began operating:
In addition to these three, a further new operator, London Overground
, took control of the current routes operated by Silverlink
in London
, with a plan to combine them with the extended East London line
in 2011. Services are controlled directly by Transport for London
, 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 will not be given control the strategic aspects of the operation, such as pricing, timetabling and rolling stock procurement.
In December, National Express
took over the running of the East Coast Main Line
franchise from GNER, using the name National Express East Coast
. Grand Central also began operating their services between London and Sunderland.
as National Express East Anglia to bring it into line with the East Coast franchise.
In April 2008, Wrexham & Shropshire began operating services between Wrexham
, Shropshire
and London Marylebone
.
In June 2008, the Gatwick Express
franchise was integrated with the South Central Franchise currently operated by Southern
.
Govia won a second term as the franchise holder of the South Central franchise, which continue under the name Southern.
The Government announced that National Express East Coast
would have their franchise to operate intercity services along the ECML terminated, with the franchise passing into the hands of a newly formed public sector company. The DfT announced that the franchise would be retendered at the end of 2010. To this end, it set up a holding company, Directly Operated Railways
, which will act as the parent for East Coast
in the immediate term, but will also act in the same capacity for any other franchises taken back by the government.
A new open-access operator, Go! Cooperative
, was launched with the intention of operating services between the Midlands and South-West. This main line operation would be combined with light rail
operations using abandoned branch lines, to create an integrated transport network. Go's plans would see their services start in 2011.
The government announced in March the shortlists for two franchises that were to be re-let, the Intercity West Coast franchise and the Greater Anglia franchise. National Express
, the then current operators of the Greater Anglia as NXEA, were not among those shortlisted for the new franchise. In May, Virgin Trains
was given a nine month extension to its existing franchise taking it to the end of 2012. Abellio Greater Anglia was announced as the new operator of the short Greater Anglia franchise, due to start in 2012 and run for 29 months.
First Hull Trains have proposed operating services from London to Harrogate
as First Harrogate Trains
; Grand Central's further proposals include services between Doncaster and Bradford as Grand Northern; Renaissance Trains have a number of proposals including Glasgow Trains
, which will operate between Glasgow, Liverpool and Nottingham, and Humber Coast and City Railway, which plans services between London and Cleethorpes
; Platinum Trains
plan to operate express services between London and Aberdeen
.
Go! Co-operative Ltd., formed in 2009, is aiming to be the first co-operatively owned
train operating company in the UK, and is initially intending to provide enhanced cross country connections in Somerset
and Wiltshire
, integrating their rail services with light rail
, bus links and car pools, enabling outlying communities to access these services.
. 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.
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
to Ryde Pier Head
. It is also possible to purchase ferry inclusive tickets from any station in Great Britain to Cowes on the Isle of Wight using the Red Funnel
catamaran from Southampton to West Cowes, although there are no rail connections on the Isle of Wight for this service.
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 National Express East Anglia, Stena Line
and Nederlandse Spoorwegen
to provide an integrated rail/sea/rail service between eastern England (London Liverpool Street, Cambridge
, 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 British Pullman departs from London Victoria and terminates at 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.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to describe the various businesses operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain
Rail transport in Great Britain
The railway system in Great Britain is the oldest in the world, with the world's first locomotive-hauled public railway opening in 1825. As of 2010, it consists of of standard gauge lines , of which are electrified. These lines range from single to double, triple, quadruple track and up to twelve...
under the collective National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
brand. They have existed since the privatisation
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
of the network under the Railways Act 1993
Railways Act 1993
The Railways Act 1993 was introduced by John Major's Conservative government and passed on 5 November 1993. It provided for the restructuring of the British Railways Board , the public corporation that owned and operated the national railway system...
.
There are two types of TOC: the majority hold franchises
Government-granted monopoly
In economics, a government-granted monopoly is a form of coercive monopoly by which a government grants exclusive privilege to a private individual or firm to be the sole provider of a good or service; potential competitors are excluded from the market by law, regulation, or other mechanisms of...
let by the government, following bids from various companies, to operate services on certain routes for a specified duration, while there are also a small number of "open-access" operators which 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.
Management
Franchises were initially let by the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF). This was in turn replaced by the Strategic Rail AuthorityStrategic Rail Authority
In existence from 2001 to 2006, the Strategic Rail Authority was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 to provide strategic direction for the railway industry....
, which has since been abolished. For England and Wales, franchising is now the responsibility of the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
in the majority of cases. In Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, it is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
. In two parts of England, local government agencies are responsible: in Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive
Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive
The Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive responsible for the coordination of public transport in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England...
lets the Merseyrail
Merseyrail
Merseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...
franchise, while Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
oversees the new London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
franchise.
The Association of Train Operating Companies
Association of Train Operating Companies
The Association of Train Operating Companies is a body which represents 24 train operating companies that provide passenger railway services on the privatised British railway system. It owns the National Rail brand. The Association is an unincorporated association owned by its members...
(ATOC) 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 Railcard discount schemes. Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
is also a member of ATOC, though it is not itself a TOC.
Organisation
For historical and geographical reasons the railway network of the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
is split into two independent systems: one in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
(including the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
), and one in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, which is closely linked to the railway system of the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
Great Britain
In Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, 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 Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
Rail Group, until 2005 this role was carried out by the Strategic Rail Authority
Strategic Rail Authority
In existence from 2001 to 2006, the Strategic Rail Authority was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 to provide strategic direction for the railway industry....
. The infrastructure of the railways in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
– including tracks, signalling
Railway signalling
Railway signalling is a system used to control railway traffic safely, essentially to prevent trains from colliding. Being guided by fixed rails, trains are uniquely susceptible to collision; furthermore, trains cannot stop quickly, and frequently operate at speeds that do not enable them to stop...
, and stations – is owned and operated not by the train companies but by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
, which took over responsibility from Railtrack
Railtrack
Railtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002...
in 2002. Most of the trains used to operate passenger services are owned by a small number of Rolling Stock Companies (ROSCOs) and are leased to the individual TOCs. However, a handful of TOCs own and maintain some of their own rolling stock.
All the passenger train operating companies in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
are privately owned. The majority of these own franchises
Government-granted monopoly
In economics, a government-granted monopoly is a form of coercive monopoly by which a government grants exclusive privilege to a private individual or firm to be the sole provider of a good or service; potential competitors are excluded from the market by law, regulation, or other mechanisms of...
to operate rail services on specific parts of the railway and come under the auspices of National Rail. However, due to the private nature of the railways in Great Britain, companies are able to bid for "slots" (specific parts of the overall National Rail timetable) to operate their own services, which the franchises do not operate - these operators are classed as open-access operators and are not franchise holders. Currently in Great Britain, there are three open-access operators: Hull Trains, who run services between London and Hull, Grand Central, who operate between London and Sunderland, and Wrexham & Shropshire, who run between London and Wrexham. 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
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
, which operates via the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
, and Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express is an airport rail link from London Heathrow Airport to London Paddington station in London operated by the Heathrow Express Operating Authority, a wholly owned subsidiary of BAA. It was opened by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998...
, which runs fast services 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
Passenger Transport Executive
In the United Kingdom, passenger transport executives are local government bodies which are responsible for public transport within large urban areas...
or other civic body responsible for administering public transport. One of these bodies, the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive
Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive
The Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive responsible for the coordination of public transport in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England...
, is responsible for one of three National Rail franchises not awarded by central government, namely the Merseyrail
Merseyrail
Merseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...
franchise, while National Rail services in North London came entirely under the control of Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
in November 2007 as London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
. Two other franchises, the Scottish domestic franchise, currently operated by First ScotRail
First ScotRail
ScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
, and Welsh domestic franchise, operated by Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
, are awarded by the devolved executives of the two constituent nations.
The Association of Train Operating Companies
Association of Train Operating Companies
The Association of Train Operating Companies is a body which represents 24 train operating companies that provide passenger railway services on the privatised British railway system. It owns the National Rail brand. The Association is an unincorporated association owned by its members...
(ATOC) is the coordinating body of the train operating companies in Great Britain and owns the National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
brand which uses the former British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
double-arrow logo and organises the common ticketing structure. At first glance it may look as if a large number of companies are involved in the UK's rail system. However, many of the train operating companies are in fact parts of larger companies which operate multiple franchises. As of May 2010:
- ArrivaArrivaArriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
- Arriva Trains WalesArriva Trains WalesArriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
and CrossCountryCrossCountryCrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
(ArrivaArrivaArriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
Are currently undergoing a buyout by Deutsche BahnDeutsche BahnDeutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
) - Department for TransportDepartment for TransportIn the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
- East Coast (train operating company)East Coast (train operating company)East Coast is a British train operating company running high-speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland... - Deutsche BahnDeutsche BahnDeutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
- Chiltern RailwaysChiltern RailwaysChiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
, London OvergroundLondon OvergroundLondon Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
and Wrexham & Shropshire - First Group - First Capital ConnectFirst Capital ConnectFirst Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
, First Great WesternFirst Great WesternFirst Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
, First ScotRailFirst ScotRailScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
, First TransPennine ExpressFirst TransPennine ExpressFirst TransPennine Express is a British train operating company. It is a joint operation between First Group and Keolis . It operates regular passenger services in northern England, including services linking the west and east coasts across the Pennines...
and First Hull Trains - GoviaGoviaGovia is a transport company based in the United Kingdom. A joint venture between Go-Ahead and Keolis SA it is a key operator of commuter services in London, the South East and on the West Coast Main Line...
- London MidlandLondon MidlandLondon Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
, SouthernSouthern (train operating company)Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
, SoutheasternSoutheastern (train operating company)London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise... - National Express GroupNational Express GroupNational Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...
- c2cC2cc2c is a British train operating company that is part of the National Express Group. It provides passenger rail services on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line from Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London to east London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway...
and National Express East Anglia (NXEA) - Serco-Abellio - MerseyrailMerseyrailMerseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...
, Northern RailNorthern RailNorthern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems... - Stagecoach GroupStagecoach GroupStagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
- East Midlands TrainsEast Midlands TrainsEast Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
(EMT), South West TrainsSouth West TrainsSouth West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
(SWT), Virgin TrainsVirgin TrainsVirgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
(in partnership with Virgin) - Virgin GroupVirgin GroupVirgin Group Limited is a British branded venture capital conglomerate organisation founded by business tycoon Richard Branson. The core business areas are travel, entertainment and lifestyle. Virgin Group's date of incorporation is listed as 1989 by Companies House, who class it as a holding...
- Virgin Trains (in partnership with Stagecoach)
Changes
Upon privatisation in 1994, the three passenger-operating sectors of British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
(InterCity
InterCity
InterCity is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe...
, Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
and Regional Railways
Regional Railways
Regional Railways was one of the three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982 that existed until 1996, 3 years after privatisation. The sector was originally called Provincial....
) were subdivided, and their existing operations were let as 23 franchises:
1994
The privatisationPrivatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
process began when BR's passenger sectors were divided into 25 "shadow franchises" - these were publicly owned TOCs operating in the planned franchise areas prior to the actual franchises being put to tender:
| InterCity InterCity (British Rail) InterCity was introduced by British Rail in 1966 as a brand-name for its long-haul express passenger services .... |
Network SouthEast Network SouthEast Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter... |
Regional Railways Regional Railways Regional Railways was one of the three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982 that existed until 1996, 3 years after privatisation. The sector was originally called Provincial.... |
|---|---|---|
| Cross Country | Chiltern Lines | Anglia Railways |
| East Coast | Island Line | Cardiff Railway Company |
| Gatwick Express | LTS Rail | Central Trains |
| Great Eastern | North London Railways | Mersey Rail Electrics |
| Great Western | Network SouthCentral | North West Regional Railways |
| Midland Main Line | SouthEastern | Regional Railways North East |
| West Coast | South West Trains | Scot Rail |
| |Thameslink | South Wales and West Railway | |
| |Thames Trains | ||
| |West Anglia Great Northern |
The opening of the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
saw operations by Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
begin from London Waterloo to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
1996
The franchising process was implemented, with various private companies taking over the shadow franchises. Two shadow franchises, Chiltern Lines and Great Western Trains were purchased by their own management teams. Great Western's management also bought North West Regional Railways and renamed it North Western Trains. The remainder were divided between a handful of major transport operators:- National Express GroupNational Express GroupNational Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...
- 5 franchises - Prism RailPrism RailPrism Rail was established in 1995 to acquire passenger rail franchises being made available under the Government's rail privatisation programme. It bid for 17 franchises, was shortlisted for 12 and was ultimately awarded 4, which were LTS Rail, Wales and West, WAGN and Valley Lines Trains.Of the...
- 4 franchises - Stagecoach GroupStagecoach GroupStagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
- 2 franchises, plus later shareholdings in two others - Connex - 2 franchises
- MTLMTLPossible meanings:* An abbreviation of Montreal* An abbreviation of Mount Laurel, New Jersey* The official abbreviation for the Muldentalkreis district in the Free State of Saxony, Germany* The ISO 4217 code for the Maltese lira, the former currency of Malta...
- 2 franchises - Virgin GroupVirgin GroupVirgin Group Limited is a British branded venture capital conglomerate organisation founded by business tycoon Richard Branson. The core business areas are travel, entertainment and lifestyle. Virgin Group's date of incorporation is listed as 1989 by Companies House, who class it as a holding...
- 2 franchises (in which Stagecoach later bought shareholdings) - FirstBus - 1 franchise, plus shareholdings in two others
1997
In Northern Ireland, NIR stopped using its own branding on the Enterprise service between BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
and Dublin when it purchased new rolling stock in conjunction with IÉ, instead launching Enterprise as a separate brand name.
1998
Great Western HoldingsGreat Western Holdings
Great Western Holdings was a company created to bid for the Great Western rail franchise in the United Kingdom. The company consisted of 51 per cent management buyout 24.5 per cent Badgerline and 24.5 per cent 3i. The company won the Great Western franchise and operated it under the name Great...
, the owner of the original operator of inter-city services from London Paddington Great Western Trains
Great Western Trains
Great Western Trains was a UK train company created in the mid 1990s as part of the privatisation of British Rail. It was one of the first two passenger companies to be privatised, passing into private ownership along with South West Trains on 4 February 1996....
was sold to FirstBus. The TOC North Western Trains was also owned by Great Western Holdings
Great Western Holdings
Great Western Holdings was a company created to bid for the Great Western rail franchise in the United Kingdom. The company consisted of 51 per cent management buyout 24.5 per cent Badgerline and 24.5 per cent 3i. The company won the Great Western franchise and operated it under the name Great...
and this was included in the deal. After the takeover FirstBus was renamed FirstGroup and the TOCs renamed First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
and First North Western
First North Western
First North Western was a train operating company in the United Kingdom serving North West England. It operated from 1997 to 2004.The company when first privatised was known as North Western Trains and was owned by Great Western Holdings, a partnership between Great Western's management, First...
.
The completion of the rail link to Heathrow Airport led to Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express is an airport rail link from London Heathrow Airport to London Paddington station in London operated by the Heathrow Express Operating Authority, a wholly owned subsidiary of BAA. It was opened by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998...
, an "open-access" operator outside the franchising system, beginning its services from London Paddington
Paddington station
Paddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
to Heathrow.
2001
In 2001, Connex, who had operated two franchises in the south-east of England, were replaced as the operator of the South Central franchise by GoviaGovia
Govia is a transport company based in the United Kingdom. A joint venture between Go-Ahead and Keolis SA it is a key operator of commuter services in London, the South East and on the West Coast Main Line...
, who began operating it under the name South Central. Also in 2001, a new franchise, the Wales and Borders Franchise was created by the amalgamation of the majority of services in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, along with connecting services on the English side of the England/Wales border. The new franchise was initially operated under the name Wales and Borders
Wales and Borders
Wales and Borders is the name of a franchise of train services covering Wales, the Welsh Marches and bordering counties of England.-History:The franchise was initially formed from part of the former Wales and West franchise and the Cardiff Railway Company , together with the lines from Shrewsbury...
.
2002
In 2002, the concept of the "open-access" on the railway network was implemented. Rather than operating the services on an area of the network, the idea of open access was to apply for specific slots in the national timetable to operate services which other operators did not run. The first of these, Hull Trains, began running its services between King's Cross and Hull.2003
Connex, having already lost the South CentralConnex South Central
Connex South Central was a short-lived train operating company in the United Kingdom. It was owned by the Connex Group, and operated under the Connex brand between October 1996 until mid-2001....
franchise in 2001, was removed as franchisee of the South Eastern
Connex South Eastern
Connex South Eastern was a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It was owned by the Connex Group and operated between 14 October 1996 and 9 November 2003. The company operated passenger services in South London and Kent...
franchise in 2003 on the grounds of "poor financial management". It was replaced as the franchise holder of the South Eastern Franchise by South Eastern Trains
South Eastern Trains
South Eastern Trains was a British train operating company, in public ownership, that provided train services in south east London and South East England from 9 November 2003 to 31 March 2006....
, a company wholly owned by the Strategic Rail Authority
Strategic Rail Authority
In existence from 2001 to 2006, the Strategic Rail Authority was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 to provide strategic direction for the railway industry....
, which would operate the franchise until it could be tendered again. New franchise holders Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
and Merseyrail
Merseyrail
Merseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...
began operating.
2004
A policy where the majority of services (both long-distance and commuter) from each London terminalLondon railway station
The London station group is a ring of eighteen stations served by the National Rail network in central London, England. Most are terminal stations, although a few are through stations or have a combination of terminal and through platforms. Each distinct station is part of a notional "common...
would all be operated by the same franchise was partially enacted; since 2004, the Greater Anglia Franchise, operated by National Express Group
National Express Group
National Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...
initially as 'one', has covered nearly all services from Liverpool Street
Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
(as well as in East Anglia). The creation of 'one' split the former West Anglia Great Northern in two, with the remainder continuing to be operated as 'wagn'.
In the North of England, prior to 2004 there were two regional franchises, the North-East Regional Franchise and the North-West Regional Franchise. In 2004, these were altered into the TransPennine Franchise, for intercity services, and the Northern Franchise, for local services. The TransPennine Franchise was awarded to First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express is a British train operating company. It is a joint operation between First Group and Keolis . It operates regular passenger services in northern England, including services linking the west and east coasts across the Pennines...
, while the Northern Franchise was awarded to Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
.
2005
A new operator, Heathrow ConnectHeathrow Connect
Heathrow Connect is a train operating company in London provided jointly by Heathrow Express and First Great Western, connecting Heathrow Airport with station. The service follows the same route as the Heathrow Express service but serves intermediate stations en route, thus connecting several...
, jointly run by BAA and First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
, began operating stopping services between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport complementing the Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express is an airport rail link from London Heathrow Airport to London Paddington station in London operated by the Heathrow Express Operating Authority, a wholly owned subsidiary of BAA. It was opened by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998...
.
2006
In March 2006, a second open-access operator, Grand Central, was granted permission to operate services on the network between King's Cross and Sunderland. Grand Central began operating services in December 2007.Three new integrated franchises began operating in April 2006:
- The Greater Western Franchise held by First Great WesternFirst Great WesternFirst Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
followed the pattern of the Greater Anglia Franchise by combining express services from London PaddingtonPaddington stationPaddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
with local services in the West of England. - The Integrated Kent Franchise, using the name SoutheasternSoutheastern (train operating company)London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
, took over services from London Victoria, London Charing Cross, London Cannon StreetCannon Street stationCannon Street station, also known as London Cannon Street, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. It is built on the site of the medieval Steelyard, the trading base in England of the Hanseatic League...
and London BlackfriarsBlackfriars stationBlackfriars station, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. Its platforms will eventually span the River Thames a short distance downstream from Blackfriars Bridge. The current entrance is located on the...
to south-east London and Kent; Southeastern will also have responsibility for high speed domestic services operated on High Speed 1 from London St Pancras. - The Thameslink/Great Northern franchise, under the name First Capital ConnectFirst Capital ConnectFirst Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
, began operating services on the cross-London ThameslinkThameslinkThameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
route and suburban services from London King's Cross and London MoorgateMoorgate stationMoorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...
.
2007
Further integrations occurred in 2007. The first of these was the South-Western Franchise; this merged the original south-west England franchise with the Island LineIsland Line, Isle of Wight
The Island Line is a railway line on the Isle of Wight, running some from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin down the eastern side of the island. The line was electrified in 1967. Trains connect with passenger ferries to Portsmouth Harbour at Ryde Pier Head, and these ferries in turn connect with the...
franchise on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
and began operating in February 2007 under the name South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
, with Island Line retained as a separate brand.
In September, a third open access operator, Wrexham & Shropshire was granted access rights to run services between Marylebone
Marylebone station
Marylebone station , also known as London Marylebone, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. It stands midway between the mainline stations at Euston and Paddington, about 1 mile from each...
and Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
. Wrexham & Shropshire are scheduled to start running in the spring of 2008.
In November 2007, three new integrated franchises began operating:
- The East Midlands Franchise, under the name East Midlands TrainsEast Midlands TrainsEast Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
, replaced Midland Mainline and parts of Central Trains and encompasses inter-city services from London St Pancras as well as local services in the East Midlands - The West Midlands Franchise, using the name London MidlandLondon MidlandLondon Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
, replaced Silverlink County and parts of Central Trains and operates stopping services between London Euston and NorthamptonNorthamptonNorthampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, in addition to local services in the West Midlands - The Cross-Country Franchise, using the name CrossCountryCrossCountryCrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
, took over from Virgin Cross Country and parts of Central Trains and operates regional inter-city services that bypass the major London terminals.
In addition to these three, a further new operator, London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
, took control of the current routes operated by Silverlink
Silverlink
Silverlink Train Services Ltd was a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operated routes in North London and from London to Northampton...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, with a plan to combine them with the extended East London line
East London Line
The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...
in 2011. Services are controlled directly by Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
, 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 will not be given control the strategic aspects of the operation, such as pricing, timetabling and rolling stock procurement.
In December, National Express
National Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
took over the running of the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
franchise from GNER, using the name National Express East Coast
National Express East Coast
National Express East Coast was a train operating company in the United Kingdom, running high speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London and Scotland, as part of the East Coast passenger franchise...
. Grand Central also began operating their services between London and Sunderland.
2008
In February 2008, 'one' was re-branded by its owner National ExpressNational Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
as National Express East Anglia to bring it into line with the East Coast franchise.
In April 2008, Wrexham & Shropshire began operating services between Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
and London Marylebone
Marylebone station
Marylebone station , also known as London Marylebone, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. It stands midway between the mainline stations at Euston and Paddington, about 1 mile from each...
.
In June 2008, the Gatwick Express
Gatwick Express
Gatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England, operated by the Southern franchise...
franchise was integrated with the South Central Franchise currently operated by Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
.
2009
In February 2009, the Office of Rail Regulation gave permission for a new open-access operator, Grand Northern, part of the same group as Grand Central, to begin operating services between London King's Cross and Bradford.Govia won a second term as the franchise holder of the South Central franchise, which continue under the name Southern.
The Government announced that National Express East Coast
National Express East Coast
National Express East Coast was a train operating company in the United Kingdom, running high speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London and Scotland, as part of the East Coast passenger franchise...
would have their franchise to operate intercity services along the ECML terminated, with the franchise passing into the hands of a newly formed public sector company. The DfT announced that the franchise would be retendered at the end of 2010. To this end, it set up a holding company, Directly Operated Railways
Directly Operated Railways
Directly Operated Railways Ltd is the name given to a holding company set up by the Department for Transport in the United Kingdom. DOR took over the running of services on the East Coast franchise from 13 November 2009 and operates under the trading name of East Coast through its subsidiary East...
, which will act as the parent for East Coast
East Coast (train operating company)
East Coast is a British train operating company running high-speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland...
in the immediate term, but will also act in the same capacity for any other franchises taken back by the government.
2010
The new open-access services from London to Bradford, intended to be operated as "Grand Northern", were announced instead to come under the Grand Central name. These began on 23 May.A new open-access operator, Go! Cooperative
Go! Cooperative
Go! Cooperative Ltd, now trading as GOCO, is an open access UK Train Operating Company which is currently proposing to operate a service between Yeovil and Birmingham, via Oxford...
, was launched with the intention of operating services between the Midlands and South-West. This main line operation would be combined with light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
operations using abandoned branch lines, to create an integrated transport network. Go's plans would see their services start in 2011.
2011
Wrexham & Shropshire ceased operating their services on the 28th January 2011.The government announced in March the shortlists for two franchises that were to be re-let, the Intercity West Coast franchise and the Greater Anglia franchise. National Express
National Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
, the then current operators of the Greater Anglia as NXEA, were not among those shortlisted for the new franchise. In May, Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
was given a nine month extension to its existing franchise taking it to the end of 2012. Abellio Greater Anglia was announced as the new operator of the short Greater Anglia franchise, due to start in 2012 and run for 29 months.
Current TOCs
As of 2011, there are a number of train operating companies, which are listed below.- Arriva Trains WalesArriva Trains WalesArriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
- c2cC2cc2c is a British train operating company that is part of the National Express Group. It provides passenger rail services on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line from Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London to east London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway...
- Chiltern RailwaysChiltern RailwaysChiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
- CrossCountryCrossCountryCrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
- East CoastEast Coast (train operating company)East Coast is a British train operating company running high-speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland...
- East Midlands TrainsEast Midlands TrainsEast Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
- First Capital ConnectFirst Capital ConnectFirst Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
- First Great WesternFirst Great WesternFirst Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
- First ScotRailFirst ScotRailScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
- First TransPennine ExpressFirst TransPennine ExpressFirst TransPennine Express is a British train operating company. It is a joint operation between First Group and Keolis . It operates regular passenger services in northern England, including services linking the west and east coasts across the Pennines...
- Gatwick ExpressGatwick ExpressGatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England, operated by the Southern franchise...
- Grand Central ("open access" operator)
- Heathrow ExpressHeathrow ExpressHeathrow Express is an airport rail link from London Heathrow Airport to London Paddington station in London operated by the Heathrow Express Operating Authority, a wholly owned subsidiary of BAA. It was opened by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998...
("open access" operator) - Hull Trains ("open access" operator)
- London MidlandLondon MidlandLondon Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
- London OvergroundLondon OvergroundLondon Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
- MerseyrailMerseyrailMerseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...
- National Express East Anglia
- Northern RailNorthern RailNorthern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
- SouthernSouthern (train operating company)Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
- SoutheasternSoutheastern (train operating company)London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
- South West TrainsSouth West TrainsSouth West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
- Virgin TrainsVirgin TrainsVirgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
Franchises
The termination of NXEC's franchise will see a new tender process, due to begin in 2010.Open access operators
A number of proposals exist for future open-access services, from London and elsewhere.First Hull Trains have proposed operating services from London to Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
as First Harrogate Trains
First Harrogate Trains
First Harrogate Trains was a proposed open-access UK train operating company. They planned to run regular direct rail services between Harrogate and London....
; Grand Central's further proposals include services between Doncaster and Bradford as Grand Northern; Renaissance Trains have a number of proposals including Glasgow Trains
Glasgow Trains
Glasgow Trains is a proposed open access rail operator in Great Britain from Renaissance Trains. They would offer a twice daily direct service between Liverpool and Glasgow with intermediate stops at Preston and Carlisle...
, which will operate between Glasgow, Liverpool and Nottingham, and Humber Coast and City Railway, which plans services between London and Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes is a town and unparished area in North East Lincolnshire, England, situated on the estuary of the Humber. It has a population of 31,853 and is a seaside resort.- History :...
; Platinum Trains
Platinum Trains
Platinum Trains was a proposed new open access train operating company that intended to run limited-stop train services from Scotland to London via the East Coast Main Line...
plan to operate express services between London and Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
.
Go! Co-operative Ltd., formed in 2009, is aiming to be the first co-operatively owned
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
train operating company in the UK, and is initially intending to provide enhanced cross country connections in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, integrating their rail services with light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
, bus links and car pools, enabling outlying communities to access these services.
Railtours
The privatisation of British Rail allowed the introduction of open-access operators, 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 railtourRailtour
A railtour is a special train which is run in order to allow people to experience rail travel which is not available using timetabled passenger services...
. 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 - because the Island LineIsland Line, Isle of Wight
The Island Line is a railway line on the Isle of Wight, running some from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin down the eastern side of the island. The line was electrified in 1967. Trains connect with passenger ferries to Portsmouth Harbour at Ryde Pier Head, and these ferries in turn connect with the...
is part of the National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
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
Wightlink
Wightlink is a ferry company operating routes between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in southern England.Their core routes are car ferries from Lymington to Yarmouth and Portsmouth to Fishbourne...
catamaran from Portsmouth Harbour
Portsmouth Harbour railway station
Portsmouth Harbour railway station is a railway station in Portsmouth, England. It is situated beside Gunwharf Quays in the city's harbour, and is an important transport terminal, with a bus interchange and ferry services to Gosport and the Isle of Wight. The station currently has four platforms:...
to Ryde Pier Head
Ryde Pier Head railway station
Ryde Pier Head railway station is one of three stations in the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Situated at the end of the town's pier, it is adjacent to the terminal for the Wightlink fast catamaran service connecting the island with Portsmouth on the UK mainland...
. It is also possible to purchase ferry inclusive tickets from any station in Great Britain to Cowes on the Isle of Wight using the Red Funnel
Red Funnel
The Southampton Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Limited, which trades as Red Funnel, is a ferry company that carries passengers and vehicles on routes between the English mainland and the Isle of Wight...
catamaran from Southampton to West Cowes, although there are no rail connections on the Isle of Wight for this service.
International operators
There are two main international services which operate on the railways in the United Kingdom:- EurostarEurostarEurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
- runs between London St. Pancras, Paris Gare du NordGare du NordParis Nord is one of the six large terminus railway stations of the SNCF mainline network for Paris, France. It offers connections with several urban transportation lines, including Paris Métro and RER...
and Bruxelles Gare du Midi/Brussel Zuidstation through the Channel TunnelChannel TunnelThe Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
. - Enterprise - operates on the Irish network between Belfast CentralBelfast Central railway stationBelfast Central is a railway station serving the city of Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is one of the four stations located in Belfast City Centre, the others being Great Victoria Street, City Hospital and Botanic....
and Dublin ConnollyDublin Connolly railway stationDublin Connolly, commonly called Connolly station , is one of the main railway stations in Dublin, Ireland, and is a focal point in the Irish route network. Opened in 1844 as Amiens Street Station, the ornate facade has a distinctive Italianate tower at its centre...
.
A third service which is worth mentioning is Dutchflyer
Dutchflyer
Dutchflyer is the name given in the UK to an integrated passenger service between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Formerly known as Amsterdam Express, Dutchflyer is a rail/sea/rail service operated jointly by Stena Line, National Express East Anglia, and Nederlandse Spoorwegen...
(GoLondon in the Netherlands). This is not a separate rail service in itself, as the others are, but a collaboration between National Express East Anglia, Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
and Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Nederlandse Spoorwegen , or NS, is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands.Its trains operate over the tracks of the Dutch national railinfrastructure, operated by ProRail, which was split off from NS in 2003...
to provide an integrated rail/sea/rail service between eastern England (London Liverpool Street, Cambridge
Cambridge railway station
Cambridge railway station is a railway station serving the city of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located at the end of Station Road, off Hills Road, 1 mile south-east of the city centre...
, Norwich
Norwich railway station
Norwich is a railway station serving the city of Norwich in the English county of Norfolk. The station is the northern terminus of the Great Eastern Main Line from London Liverpool Street. It is also the terminus of railway lines from Ely, Sheringham, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.-History:At one...
) and The Netherlands (Amsterdam Centraal
Amsterdam Centraal
' is the central station of Amsterdam. It is one of the main railway hubs of the Netherlands and is used by 250,000 passengers a day, excluding transferring passengers. It is also the starting point of Amsterdam Metro lines 51, 53, and 54. The station building of Amsterdam Centraal was designed by...
) using a single ticket.
A further international service is provided by Venice Simplon Orient Express. Although this is primarily a railtour
Railtour
A railtour is a special train which is run in order to allow people to experience rail travel which is not available using timetabled passenger services...
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 British Pullman departs from London Victoria and terminates at Folkestone West
Folkestone West railway station
Folkestone West railway station is one of two open railway stations in Folkestone in Kent. The station is operated by Southeastern.The ticket office, in a room on the extensive 'up' side buildings on the London-bound platform, is manned only during part of the day; at other times a PERTIS 'permit...
, where passengers transfer by coach through the Channel Tunnel to Calais; at Gare de Calais-Ville
Gare de Calais-Ville
Gare de Calais-Ville is a railway station in the city centre of Calais, France. It is the principal station for commuter and short distance rail services in Calais. Another station Calais-Fréthun which is where longer distance services depart from is connected by a free shuttle bus service...
, they then join the Orient Express which then calls at various destinations including Paris, Vienna, Innsbruck, Venice and Rome.
See also
- List of companies operating trains in the United Kingdom
- Rail transport in Great BritainRail transport in Great BritainThe railway system in Great Britain is the oldest in the world, with the world's first locomotive-hauled public railway opening in 1825. As of 2010, it consists of of standard gauge lines , of which are electrified. These lines range from single to double, triple, quadruple track and up to twelve...
- Rail transport in IrelandRail transport in IrelandRail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.Most routes in the Republic radiate from Dublin...
- Association of Train Operating CompaniesAssociation of Train Operating CompaniesThe Association of Train Operating Companies is a body which represents 24 train operating companies that provide passenger railway services on the privatised British railway system. It owns the National Rail brand. The Association is an unincorporated association owned by its members...
(ATOC)