List of companies operating trains in the United Kingdom
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Passenger train services in Great Britain are operated by a number of companies, normally on the basis of regional franchises awarded 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.
All but one of the train operating companies in Great Britain are privately owned. The exception is South Eastern Trains, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), which took over from Connex in 2003. The SRA hopes to award the franchise to a private operator in 2005.
In Northern Ireland, where services were never privatised, Northern Ireland Railways -- a subsidiary of the government-owned public transport holding company Translink -- provides train services.
A number of metropolitan railways - such as in Merseyside and Tyneside - are operated on the basis of contracts between private operators and regional transport authorities.
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. 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:
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Current passenger operators
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- Arriva Trains Wales / Trenau Arriva Cymru
- c2c (formerly known as LTS Rail)
- Central Trains (to be dissolved and split between Silverlink, Chiltern, Virgin CrossCountry, Midland Mainline and Northern Rail in 2006)
- Chiltern Railways
- Eurostar
- First Great Western (to be replaced by a new franchise, also covering the First Great Western Link and Wessex areas, in 2006)
- First Great Western Link (to be replaced by a new franchise, also covering the First Great Western and Wessex areas, in 2006)
- First ScotRail
- Gatwick Express
- Great North Eastern Railway (GNER)
- Heathrow Express
- Hull Trains
- Island Line
- Merseyrail Electrics
- Midland Mainline
- Northern Rail
- one
- Silverlink
- Southern
- South Eastern Trains
- South West Trains
- Thameslink (to be replaced by a new franchise, also covering the West Anglia Great Northern Railway areas)
- Translink
- TransPennine Express
- Virgin Trains CrossCountry
- Virgin Trains West Coast
- West Anglia Great Northern Railway (WAGN) (to be replaced by a new franchise, also covering the Thameslink areas)
- Wessex Trains (to be replaced by a new franchise, also covering the First Great Western and First Great Western Link areas, in 2006)
There are also several heritage lines and light rail systems.
Current passenger operators by parent company
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- Arriva
- BAA
- First Group
- First Group and Keolis
- GoVia - Go-Ahead Group & VIA-GTI (French public transport operator).
- Independent
- National Express Group
- NedRailways
- Sea Containers
- Great North Eastern Railway (GNER)
- Strategic Rail Authority
- Stagecoach Holdings
- UK Government
- Virgin Group
- Virgin Trains CrossCountry
- Virgin Trains West Coast
Defunct operating companies
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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) - Replaced by Merseyrail Electrics
- Arriva Trains Northern (until 12 December 2004) - Replaced by Northern Rail
- 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
- First North Western (until 12 December 2004) - Replaced by Northern Rail
- MTL (until 1998) - Replaced by Arriva Trains Merseyside
- ScotRail (until October 17 2004) - Replaced by First ScotRail
- 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
References
- Association of Train Operating Companies National Rail Website (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/toc_list.html)de:Liste von Eisenbahngesellschaften in Großbritannien und Nordirland