List of companies operating trains in the United Kingdom
This article only covers companies operating trains on Network Rail lines. For other companies, see List of British heritage and private railways.
There are many companies operating trains in the United Kingdom, including the 22 operators of franchised passenger services, officially referred to as train operating companies, as distinct from freight operating companies.
Passenger operators in Great Britain
There are also a number of light rail systems.Defunct operating companies
Operating companies have ceased to exist for various reasons, including withdrawal of the franchise, the term of the franchise has expired, bankruptcy or merger.| Operator | Type | Franchise | Parent | Date started | Date ceased | Replaced by |
| Anglia Railways | Franchise | Anglia | GB Railways | One | ||
| Arriva Trains Wales | Franchise | Wales & Borders | Arriva UK Trains | Transport for Wales | ||
| Arriva Trains Merseyside | Merseytravel contract | Merseyrail | Arriva UK Trains | Merseyrail | ||
| Arriva Trains Northern | Franchise | Regional Railways North East | Arriva UK Trains | First TransPennine Express Northern Rail | ||
| Arriva Rail North | Franchise | Northern | Arriva UK Trains | Northern Trains | ||
| Central Trains | Franchise | Central | National Express | CrossCountry East Midlands Trains London Midland | ||
| Connex South Central | Franchise | Network SouthCentral | Connex | Southern | ||
| Connex South Eastern | Franchise | South Eastern | Connex | South Eastern Trains | ||
| East Coast | Franchise | InterCity East Coast | Directly Operated Railways | Virgin Trains East Coast | ||
| East Midlands Trains | Franchise | East Midlands | Stagecoach | East Midlands Railway | ||
| First Capital Connect | Franchise | Thameslink Great Northern | FirstGroup | Govia Thameslink Railway | ||
| First Great Eastern | Franchise | Great Eastern | FirstGroup | One | ||
| First Great Western Link | Franchise | Thames | FirstGroup | First Great Western | ||
| First North Western | Franchise | North West Regional Railways | FirstGroup | Arriva Trains Wales First TransPennine Express Northern Rail | ||
| First ScotRail | Franchise | Scotrail | FirstGroup | Abellio ScotRail | ||
| First TransPennine Express | Franchise | TransPennine Express | FirstGroup Keolis | TransPennine Express | ||
| Gatwick Express | Franchise | Gatwick Express | National Express | Southern | ||
| Great North Eastern Railway | Franchise | InterCity East Coast | Sea Containers | National Express East Coast | ||
| Great Western Trains | Franchise | Great Western | Great Western Holdings | First Great Western | ||
| Heathrow Connect | Open Access | — | Heathrow Airport Holdings, FirstGroup | TfL Rail | ||
| Island Line | Franchise | Island Line | Stagecoach | South West Trains | ||
| London Midland | Franchise | West Midlands | Govia | West Midlands Trains | ||
| London Overground Rail Operations | TfL concession | London Overground | Arriva UK Trains MTR Corporation | Arriva Rail London | ||
| Merseyrail Electrics | Merseytravel contract | Merseyrail | MTL | Arriva Trains Merseyside | ||
| Midland Mainline | Franchise | Midland Main Line | National Express | East Midlands Trains | ||
| National Express East Anglia | Franchise | Greater Anglia | National Express | Greater Anglia | ||
| National Express East Coast | Franchise | InterCity East Coast | National Express | East Coast | ||
| Northern Rail | Franchise | Northern | Serco-Abellio | Arriva Rail North | ||
| Northern Spirit | Franchise | Regional Railways North East | MTL | Arriva Trains Northern | ||
| North Western Trains | Franchise | North West Regional Railways | Great Western Holdings | First North Western | ||
| ScotRail | Franchise | ScotRail | National Express | First ScotRail | ||
| Silverlink | Franchise | North London Railways | National Express | London Midland London Overground Rail Operations | ||
| South Eastern Trains | Franchise | South Eastern | Strategic Rail Authority | Southeastern | ||
| South West Trains | Franchise | South West | Stagecoach | South Western Railway | ||
| Southern | Franchise | South Central | Govia | Connex South Central | ||
| Thames Trains | Franchise | Thames | Go-Ahead Group | First Great Western Link | ||
| Thameslink | Franchise | Thameslink | Govia | First Capital Connect | ||
| Valley Lines | Franchise | Valley Lines | National Express | Wales & Borders | ||
| Virgin Trains East Coast | Franchise | InterCity East Coast | Virgin Group Stagecoach | London North Eastern Railway | ||
| Virgin CrossCountry | Franchise | CrossCountry | Virgin Rail Group | CrossCountry First TransPennine Express Virgin Trains West Coast | ||
| Virgin Trains | Franchise | InterCity West Coast | Virgin Rail Group | InterCity ' | ||
| West Anglia Great Northern ' | Franchise | West Anglia Great Northern | National Express | One | ||
| West Anglia Great Northern | Franchise | West Anglia Great Northern | National Express | First Capital Connect | ||
| Wales & Borders | Franchise | Wales & Borders | National Express | Arriva Trains Wales | ||
| Wales & West | Franchise | Wales & West | National Express | Wales & Borders Wessex Trains | ||
| Wessex Trains | Franchise | Wessex | National Express | First Great Western | ||
| Wrexham & Shropshire | Open access | Wrexham to London | DB Regio | Ceased due to lack of profitability |
Future operators
- Crossrail, a concession for the cross-London Reading/Heathrow to Shenfield/Abbey Wood line. It has already taken control of its first services between Liverpool Street and Shenfield in May 2015 and services between Paddington and Heathrow in May 2018 with the full franchise operating from 2021.
- East Coast Trains from London King's Cross to Edinburgh Waverley via Stevenage, Newcastle and Morpeth. Operations are planned to commence in May 2021.
Passenger operators in Northern Ireland
- Northern Ireland Railways
- The Enterprise service on the Belfast-Dublin line, jointly operated by Northern Ireland Railways and Iarnród Éireann
Railtour operators
- Compass Tours
- DPS Railtours
- Pathfinder Tours
- Scottish Railway Preservation Society
- Venice-Simplon Orient Express
- Vintage Trains
- Enthusiast Railtours
- *Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
- *Irish Railway Record Society
- *The Modern Railway Society of Ireland
- Luxury Railtours
- *Belmond Grand Hibernian
- *Steam Dreams
Freight operators
- Colas Rail
- DCRail
- Direct Rail Services
- DB Cargo UK
- Freightliner
- GB Railfreight
- Mendip Rail
Franchised passenger operator structure in Great Britain