List of UK Train Operating Companies
The Following comprise the UK Franchised Train Operators:
| Train Operator | Owning Group | Terms |
| Arriva Trains Wales | Arriva plc (now owned by Deutsche Bahn AG) | Franchise start: 7 December 2003, Term 15 years. Now responsibility of Welsh Assembly. Efficiency reviews every 5 years. |
| Chiltern Railways | DB Regio, part of Deutsche Bahn AG | Franchise start: February 2002, Term 20 years (to December 2021). |
| c2c | National Express Group plc | Franchise start: May 1996, Term 15 years. Continuation of up to two years possible by mutual agreement (subsequently agreed to 26 May 2013). Present plan is for refranchising in 2013 for 15 years. |
| CrossCountry | Arriva plc (now owned by Deutsche Bahn AG) | Franchise start: November 2007, Franchise end 31st March 2016 (with final 2½ years conditional on meeting performance targets). |
| East Coast Trains | Directly Operated Railways Ltd, a wholly owned government subsidiary | This company stepped in in 2009 following the early withdrawal of National Express plc. The company is being operated by HM Government until such time as it can be refranchised (currently planned for late 2012). |
| East Midlands Trains | Stagecoach Group plc | Franchise start: 11 November 2007, Term 7 years 4 months (to 1st April 2015). Last 1½ years subject to performance review and agreement. |
| First Capital Connect | First Group plc | Franchise start: 1 April 2006, Term 6 years (last two subject to performance) with possible 3-year extension depending on performance and wider issues about Thameslink upgrade. Likely to be retendered in parallel with South Eastern. |
| First Great Western | First Group plc | Franchise start: 10 April 2006, Term 7 years with possible 3-year extension subject to performance and agreement. FGW have declined an extension on commercial grounds and retendering likely in 2013. |
| First TransPennine Express | Joint venture between First Group plc and Keolis SA (itself partly owned by SNCF) | Franchise start: 1 February 2004, term to December 2012 although a 2-year extension beyond 2012 was possible by mutual agreement, or 28-week extension at DfT discretion. DfT policy has changed and discussions currently in hand for possible 5-year extension. Alternative plan for possible new 15-year franchise in parallel with Northern Rail. |
| Island Line | Stagecoach Holdings plc | See South West Trains franchise |
| London Midland | Govia Ltd - a joint venture between Go-Ahead Group plc and Keolis SA (itself partly owned by SNCF). | Franchise start: 11 November 2007, Franchise end: 19 September 2015. Last 2 years subject to performance review and agreement. |
| London Overground (Franchise managed by Transport for London) | London Overground Rail Operations Ltd, a subsidiary of DB Regio (part of Deutsche Bahn AG) and MTR Corporation (Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway Corporation). | Franchise start: 11 November 2007, Term: 7 years with possible 2-year extension. This franchise is let and operated by Transport for London. |
| Merseyrail (Franchise managed by Merseyside PTE) | Serco plc with Ned Railways (Nederlandse Spoorwegen), trading as Merseyrail Electrics (2002) Ltd. Ned Rail is now called Abellio. | Franchise start: 20 July 2003, Term: 25 years. This franchise is let and operated by Merseyside PTE. |
| National Express East Anglia (with Stansted Express) | National Express Group plc | Franchise start: 1 April 2004, Term: 10 years, with last three subject to performance review. However, owing to a dispute between National Express and DfT, the expected extension was dropped and a shorter extension negotiated. A very short 'hold over' franchise was tendered in 2011 and awarded to Abellio, who will run it from 5 February 2012 to 19 July 2014. |
| Northern Rail | Serco plc with Ned Railways (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) - now called Abellio. | Franchise start: 12 December 2004, Term: originally 6 years 9 months with a 2-year extension subject to performance review. A franchise extension was granted in May 2010 and is now due to expire on 15 September 2013. |
| Scotrail | First Group plc | Franchise start: 17 October 2004, Term: 7 years with 3-year extension option, which was exercised during 2008. Franchise now managed by Transport Scotland on behalf of Scottish Government. |
| SouthEastern | Govia (joint venture between Go-Ahead Group plc and Keolis SA (itself partly owned by SNCF). | Franchise start: 1 April 2006, Term 6 years to March 2012 with possible 2-year extension to 31 March 2014 subject to performance review and at SouthEastern's option (subsequently exercised and confirmed). Retendering likely to be simultaneous with Thameslink. |
| South West Trains | Stagecoach Holdings plc | Franchise start: 4 February 2007, Term 7 years. a 3-year extension is possible subject to performance review and at SWT's option. Franchise now includes former Island Line (Isle of Wight). |
| Southern (with Gatwick Express) | Govia (joint venture between Go-Ahead Group plc and Keolis SA (itself partly owned by SNCF). | Franchise start: May 2003, Franchise will end on 30 September 2009. It has been re-awarded to Govia until July 2014 with possible 1-year extension subject to performance. |
| Virgin Trains | Virgin Rail Group Ltd (with Stagecoach as minority [49%] shareholder) | Franchise start: March 1997, Term 15 years; a 28 week extension is possible at DfT discretion (an extension was recently awarded taking end of existing franchise to 9 December 2012). Presently entering refranchising process. |
| Grand Central | Established by private investment team and recently taken over by Arriva (Deutche Bahn AG) |
| Heathrow Connect | BAA plc (who supply trains and drivers) and First Group plc |
| Heathrow Express | Owned by BAA plc |
| Hull Trains | Majority owned by First Group plc. Other investors include directors of Renaissance Trains. |
| London Underground | London Underground Ltd (a subsidiary of Transport for London) operates some services over Network Rail tracks, largely using 'grandfather' rights. By agreement of DfT it is also the station operator of several Network Rail stations through which it runs. |
| Eurostar | Today, the Eurostar brand is owned and operated by Eurostar International Ltd,
a company owned jointly by London & Continental Railways (in UK), SNCF (French Railways) and SNCB
(Belgian Railways). It operates trains via the channel tunnel between London St Pancras International,
Paris and Brussels. In the UK it presently uses dedicated tracks (known as HS2) between London and the
Folkestone, though in early days it used the main line rail network fro Waterloo. It therefore
differs at the moment from other open access operators. Until 2009, Eurostar had been the trade name used by SNCF, SNCB and Eurostar UK Ltd, who jointly operated high speed services via the Channel Tunnel route using their own trains and crews, with identical branding. Eurostar UK Ltd was then wholly owned by London & Continental Railways (who refurbished St Pancras and built the UK high speed line), but did not itself operate trains, a management contract being in place with InterCapital & Regional Rail Ltd (a consortium of National Express, SNCF, SNCB and British Airways). |
| Direct Rail Services | Direct Rail has its origins in 1995 in haulage of materials for British Nuclear Fuels Ltd and in 2005 became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. Nevertheless they provide services for hire for a wide range of customers. |
| DB Schenker | DB Schenker is a partnership of DB Railways (Deutsche Bahn) and Schenker logistics. It is the largest UK freight operator and its locomotives are also hired in by other operators and Network Rail from time to time. DB Schenker's UK freight activities are built on the acquisition in 2007 of English, Welsh and Scottish Railways, which had its origins in 1996 rail privatization when it acquired four divisions of the former British Rail freight business. EWS was originally owned by Wisconsin Central Ltd, itself taken over by Canadian National in 2001. |
| Freightliner | Freightliner has its origins in British Rail's development of the liner train concept which propelled trainload freight forward at expense of wagonload traffic. It is no surprise to see it still the largest operator of UK container traffic, especially to and from ports. |
| Freightliner Heavy Haul | Freightliner Heavy Haul is a separate division of Freightliner providing trainload movement between inland locations, by no means the majority of which is container based. |
| Fastline Freight | A newish operator (part of Jarvis) at first carrying container traffic and heavy trainload traffic such as power station coal. It decided to leave the container business during 2009. Jarvis is presently in administration and long term future of Fastline will depend on that of Jarvis. |
| GB Railfreight | GB Railfreight was created by GB Railways Ltd around 2001 to exploit some market opportunities. GB Railways was subsequently acquired by First Group. The company has grown considerably and the company now has a significant market share. The company was recently acquired by Eurotunnel. |
| Colas Rail | A small operator initially devoted to developing timber traffic. |
| Devon & Cornwall Railway | A new rail freight operator, licensed in 2011, owned by British American Railway Services. Has not yet begun operating |
| Cargo-D | A small operator providing rolling stock for charter operators and freight wagons and locomotive power. |
| Riviera Trains | A small operator predominantly providing and operating charter trains. |
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