There are many companies operating trains in the United Kingdom, including the operators of franchised passenger services, officially referred to as

train operating companies A train operating company (TOC) is a business operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain under the collective National Rail brand. TOCs have existed since the privatisation of the network under the Railways Act 1993. T ...

(TOCs), 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.

Passenger operators in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...

, passenger trains are NI/Ireland government-owned by Translink or the National Transport Authority. The following brands are used: * Northern Ireland Railways *

Iarnród Éireann Iarnród Éireann () or Irish Rail, is the operator of the national railway network of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ). It operates all internal InterCity, Commuter, DART and f ...

, who operates the

Enterprise Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to: Business and economics Brands and enterprises * Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company * Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company * Enterprise ...

service from Dublin Connolly to Belfast Lanyon Place on the Belfast-Dublin line with Northern Ireland Railways and also 2 Northern Commuter services a day to/from

Newry Newry (; ) is a City status in Ireland, city in Northern Ireland, divided by the Newry River, Clanrye river in counties County Armagh, Armagh and County Down, Down, from Belfast and from Dublin. It had a population of 26,967 in 2011. Newry ...

UK Railtour operators

Compass Tours Compass Tours was a UK railtour organiser specialising in excursions with heritage diesel locomotives such as the Class 37, Class 40 and Class 47 and also using Steam Engines such as the LMS Black 5. A pro-rail company, Compass Tours heavil ...

* DPS Railtours *Pathfinder Tours *

Scottish Railway Preservation Society The Scottish Railway Preservation Society is a charity, whose principal objective is the preservation and advancement of railway heritage in Scotland. The society's headquarters is at Bo'ness Borrowstounness (commonly known as Bo'ness ( )) i ...

Venice-Simplon Orient Express The ''Venice Simplon-Orient-Express'' (VSOE) is a private luxury train service from London to Venice and other European cities. It is currently owned by Belmond, which operates 45 luxury hotels, restaurants, tourist trains and river cruises ...

(''British Pullman'' and ''Northern Belle'' services) *

Vintage Trains Vintage Trains is an operator of heritage railtours in the United Kingdom. It is a subsidiary of Birmingham Railway Museum Trust, and is based at Tyseley Locomotive Works, the trust's other subsidiary. Mainline locomotives Vintage Trains opera ...

West Coast Railways West Coast Railways (WCR) is a railway spot-hire company and charter train operator based at Carnforth MPD in Lancashire. Using buildings and other facilities previously owned by the Steamtown Carnforth visitor attraction, in June 1998 the com ...

Locomotive Services Limited Locomotive Services Limited is a train operating company in Great Britain. The company operates rail tours using heritage steam, diesel and electric locomotives with support from associated companies and trusts. History In August 2017, Locomo ...

Luxury railtours *Belmond ''Grand Hibernian'' (From August 2016) *Steam Dreams (''Emerald Isle Explorer'') In Northern Ireland *Enthusiast railtours * Railway Preservation Society of Ireland *Irish Railway Record Society *The Modern Railway Society of Ireland

Freight operators

* Colas Rail * DCRail * Direct Rail Services * DB Cargo UK (formerly English Welsh & Scottish Railway) * Freightliner *

GB Railfreight GB Railfreight (GBRf) is a rail freight company in the United Kingdom. As of 2022, it is owned by the global investment company Infracapital. GB Railfreight was established in April 1999 as the rail freight operating subsidiary of the train o ...

* Mendip Rail

Franchised passenger operator structure in Great Britain

References

{{reflist, 30em

External links

List of Train Operating Companies on the National Rail websiteMap of Train Operating Companies on the National Rail websiteBarry Doe's colour-coded map showing operator(s) on each route (Large PDF)
Companies operating trains in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...