List of companies operating trains in the United Kingdom: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

UK Train Operating Companies

Since the privatisation of British Rail, trains on the British railway system are operated by several companies, mainly on the basis of a regional franchises let by the Strategic Rail Authority. Tracks and signalling are not operated by the train companies but by Network Rail (which took over from Railtrack in 2002).

The exceptions are South Eastern Trains and Translink. South Eastern Trains, which took over from Connex, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Strategic Rail Authority. The SRA hopes to award the franchise to a private operator in 2005. Translink is the Government-owned train company in Northern Ireland, where services were never privatised. A number of metropolitan railways - such as in Merseyside and Tyneside - are let by regional transport authorities.

At first glance it looks 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. The biggest are National Express Group, First Group, Virgin Trains and Arriva.

The Association of Train Operating Companies is the coordinating body of the train operating companies.

Train operators include:

• Arriva Trains Northern
• Arriva Trains Wales / Trenau Arriva Cymru
• c2c (formerly known as LTS Rail)
• Central Trains
• Chiltern Railways
• Eurostar
• First Great Western
• First Great Western Link
• First North Western
• Gatwick Express
• Great North Eastern Railway (GNER)
• Heathrow Express
• Hull Trains
• Island Line
• Merseyrail Electrics
• Midland Mainline
• one
• ScotRail (to be replaced by a FirstGroup-operated franchise from October 17 2004)
• Silverlink
• Southern
• South Eastern Trains
• South West Trains
• Thameslink
• Translink
• TransPennine Express
• Virgin Trains Cross Country
• Virgin Trains West Coast
• West Anglia Great Northern Railway (WAGN)
• Wessex Trains

There are also several heritage lines and light rail systems.

• Arriva
  • Arriva Trains Northern
  • Arriva Trains Wales / Trenau Arriva Cymru
• BAA
  • Heathrow Express
• First Group
  • First Great Western
  • First Great Western Link
  • First North Western
• First Group and Keolis
  • TransPennine Express
• GoVia - Go-Ahead Group & VIA-GTI (French public transport operator).
  • Southern
  • Thameslink
• Independent
  • Chiltern Railways
  • Eurostar
  • Hull Trains
• National Express Group
  • c2c (formerly known as LTS Rail)
  • Central Trains
  • Gatwick Express
  • Midland Mainline
  • one
  • Silverlink
  • ScotRail (to be replaced by a FirstGroup-operated franchise from October 17 2004)
  • Wessex Trains
  • West Anglia Great Northern Railway (WAGN)
• NedRailways
  • Merseyrail Electrics
• Sea Containers
  • Great North Eastern Railway (GNER)
• Strategic Rail Authority
  • South Eastern Trains
• Stagecoach Holdings
  • Island Line
  • South West Trains
• UK Government
  • Translink
• Virgin Group
  • Virgin Trains Cross Country
  • Virgin Trains West Coast

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

• Anglia Railways (until 1 April 2004) - Replaced by one
• Arriva Trains Merseyside (until June 2003)
• Connex South Central - Replaced by South Central trains
• Connex South Eastern (until 9 November 2003) - Replaced by South Eastern Trains
• First Great Eastern (until 1 April 2004) - Replaced by one
• MTL (until 1998) - Replaced by Arriva Trains Merseyside
• Thames Trains (until 1 April 2004) - Replaced by First Great Western Link
• Wales and Borders (14 October 2001 - 7 December 2003) - Replaced by Arriva Trains Wales
• Wales and West (until 14 October 2001) - Split into Wales and Borders and Wessex
• Valley Lines (until 14 October 2001) - Merged with Wales and Borders