list of companies operating trains in the United Kingdom

! width=120| Operator

!Type

!width=120|Franchise

!Parent(s)

!Passenger
satisfaction{{Cite web|date=2 July 2020|title=National Rail Passenger Survey Spring 2020|url=https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/research-publications/publications/national-rail-passenger-survey-nrps-spring-2020-main-report/|access-date=12 August 2020|website=Transport Focus|language=en-GB}}

!align="center"| Start date

!Replaced

!Code

|TfL concession

|London Overground

|Arriva UK Trains

|87%

|{{dts|13 November 2016}}[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35841733 Arriva wins £1.5bn London Overground contract] BBC News 18 March 2016[http://www.arriva.co.uk/media/news/2016/18-03-2016 Transport for London announces intention to award London Overground contract to Arriva] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808220243/http://www.arriva.co.uk/media/news/2016/18-03-2016 |date=8 August 2016 }} Arriva 18 March 2016[http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Rail-News/tfl-confirm-london-overground-contract-with-arriva-signed TfL confirm London Overground contract with Arriva signed] Railway Technology Magazine 18 April 2016

|London Overground Rail Operations

|LO

| rowspan="6" |Franchise

|West Coast Partnership

|{{plainlist|

• FirstGroup (70%)
• Trenitalia (30%)

}}

|84%

|{{dts|8 December 2019}}

|Virgin Trains West Coast

|VT

|Essex Thameside

|Trenitalia

|84%

|{{dts|26 May 1996}}

|Network SouthEast
(London, Tilbury & Southend Division)

|CC

|Caledonian Sleeper

|Scottish Rail Holdings

|—

|{{dts|25 June 2023}}

|Caledonian Sleeper (Serco)

|CS

|Chiltern Railways

| rowspan="2" |Arriva UK Trains

|88%

|{{dts|21 July 1996}}

|Network SouthEast (Chiltern Division)

|CH

|New CrossCountry

|85%

|{{dts|11 November 2007}}

|Central Trains
(Birmingham – Stansted), (Cardiff – Nottingham)
Virgin CrossCountry

|XC

|East Midlands

|Transport UK Group

|83%

|{{dts|18 August 2019}}

|{{plainlist|

• East Midlands Trains
• Northern Trains (Barton-on-Humber – Cleethorpes)

}}

|EM

|TfL concession

|Crossrail

|MTR Elizabeth line

|89%

|{{dts|31 May 2015}} (as TfL Rail)

|{{plainlist|

• Greater Anglia (Liverpool Street – Shenfield)
• Great Western Railway (Paddington – Reading)
• Heathrow Connect
• Heathrow Express (Heathrow Central – Heathrow T4 shuttle)

}}

|XR

|Open access

|—

|Eurostar Group

|—

|{{dts|14 November 1994}}

|—

|ES

|Franchise

|Thameslink, Southern & Great Northern

|Govia

|80%

|{{dts|14 September 2014}}

|{{plainlist|

• First Capital Connect
• Southern

}}

|SN, TL, GN, GX

|Open access

|—

|Arriva UK Trains

|95%

|{{dts|18 December 2007}}

|—

|GC

| rowspan="2" |Franchise

|East Anglia

|{{plainlist|

• Transport UK Group (60%)
• Mitsui (40%)

}}

|77%

|{{dts|16 October 2016}}{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/franchise-announcement |title=Railway plan puts new focus on passengers |publisher=Department for Transport |date=26 March 2013 }}

|National Express East Anglia

|LE

|Greater Western

|FirstGroup

|86%

|{{dts|1 April 2006}}

|{{plainlist|

• First Great Western
• First Great Western Link
• Wessex Trains

}}

|GW

| rowspan="2" |Open access

|—

|Heathrow Airport Holdings

|94%

|{{dts|23 June 1998}}

|—

|HX

|—

|FirstGroup

|92%

|{{dts|25 September 2002}}

|—

|HT

|Franchise

|InterCity East Coast

|DfT Operator

|91%

|{{dts|24 June 2018}}

|Virgin Trains East Coast

|GR

|Open access

|—

|FirstGroup

|—

|{{dts|25 October 2021}}

|—

|LD

|Merseytravel contract

|Merseyrail

|Serco-Abellio

|90%

|{{dts|20 July 2003}}

|Arriva Trains Merseyside

|ME

|rowspan ="7"|Franchise

|Northern

|DfT Operator

|77%

|{{dts|1 March 2020}}

|Arriva Rail North

|NT

|ScotRail

|Scottish Rail Holdings

|—

|{{dts|1 April 2022}}

|Abellio ScotRail

|SR

|South Eastern

|DfT Operator

|—

|{{dts|17 October 2021}}

|Southeastern (Govia)

|SE

|South Western

|{{plainlist|

• FirstGroup (70%)
• MTR Corporation (30%)

}}

|75%

|{{dts|20 August 2017}}

|South West Trains

|SW, IL

|TransPennine Express

|DfT Operator

|{{snd}}

|{{dts|28 May 2023}}

|TransPennine Express (FirstGroup)

|TP

|Wales & Borders

|Transport for Wales

|—

|{{dts|7 February 2021}}

|KeolisAmey Wales

|AW

|West Midlands

|{{plainlist|

• Transport UK Group (70%)
• JR East (15%)
• Mitsui (15%)

}}

|79%

|{{dts|10 December 2017}}{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/630238/rail-franchise-schedule.pdf |title=Rail franchise schedule |publisher=Department of Transport |date=19 July 2017 |access-date=23 August 2017 |archive-date=17 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617194648/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/630238/rail-franchise-schedule.pdf |url-status=dead }}

|London Midland

|LM

!Operator

!Type

!Region

!Parent

!Date commencing

!Replacing

!Code

| rowspan="3" |State-owned operator

|South Western

| rowspan="3" |DfT Operator

|29 May 2025{{Cite web |date=4 December 2024 |title=Public ownership: Railway passenger services |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/public-ownership-railway-passenger-services |website=GOV.UK}}

|South Western Railway (FirstGroup, MTR)

|SW, IL

|Essex Thameside

|20 July 2025{{Cite web |date=4 December 2024 |title=Public ownership: Railway passenger services |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/public-ownership-railway-passenger-services |website=GOV.UK}}

|c2c (Trenitalia)

|CC

|East Anglia

|TBC

|Greater Anglia (Transport UK Group, Mitsui)

|LE

! width=160| Operator

! Type

! Franchise

!Parent(s)

! Date started

! Date ceased

!Replaced by

!Code

| rowspan="3" |Franchise

|ScotRail

|Abellio

|{{dts|1 April 2015}}

|{{dts|31 March 2022}}

|ScotRail (Scottish Government)

|SR

|Anglia

|GB Railways

|{{dts|5 January 1997}}

|{{dts|31 March 2004}}

|One

|AR

|Wales & Borders

| rowspan="4" |Arriva UK Trains

|{{dts|8 December 2003}}

|{{dts|13 October 2018}}{{cite web |url=http://www.aslef.org.uk/information/102222/102407/franchise_information/ |title=ASLEF - Franchise Information |access-date=25 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120124052255/http://www.aslef.org.uk/information/102222/102407/franchise_information/ |archive-date=24 January 2012 }}

|KeolisAmey Wales

|AW

|Merseytravel contract

|Merseyrail

|{{dts|February 2000}}

|{{dts|20 July 2003}}

|Merseyrail

|ME

| rowspan="17" |Franchise

| Regional Railways North East

|{{dts|2 March 1997}}

|{{dts|12 December 2004}}

|{{plainlist|

• First TransPennine Express
• Northern Rail

}}

|AN

|Northern

|{{dts|1 April 2016}}

|{{dts|29 February 2020}}

|Northern Trains

|NT

|Caledonian Sleeper

|Serco

|{{dts|31 March 2015}}

|{{dts|24 June 2023}}

|Caledonian Sleeper
(Scottish Rail Holdings)

|CS

|Central

|National Express

|{{dts|2 March 1997}}

|{{dts|10 November 2007}}

|{{plainlist|

• CrossCountry
• East Midlands Trains
• London Midland

}}

|CT

|Network SouthCentral

| rowspan="2" |Connex

|{{dts|13 October 1996}}

|{{dts|16 June 2001}}

|Southern

| rowspan="2" |CX

|South Eastern

|{{dts|26 May 1996}}

|{{dts|9 November 2003}}

|South Eastern Trains

|InterCity East Coast

|Directly Operated Railways

|{{dts|14 November 2009}}

|{{dts|28 February 2015}}

|Virgin Trains East Coast

|GR

|East Midlands

|Stagecoach

|{{dts|11 November 2007}}

|{{dts|17 August 2019}}

|East Midlands Railway

|EM

|Thameslink Great Northern

|FirstGroup

|{{dts|1 April 2006}}

|{{dts|13 September 2014}}

|Govia Thameslink Railway

|FC

|Great Eastern

|FirstGroup

|{{dts|5 January 1997}}

|{{dts|31 March 2004}}

|National Express East Anglia

|GE

|Thames

|FirstGroup

|{{dts|1 April 2004}}

|{{dts|31 March 2006}}

|First Great Western

|FK

|North West Regional Railways

|FirstGroup

|{{dts|2 March 1997}}

|{{dts|12 December 2004}}

|{{plainlist|

• Arriva Trains Wales
• First TransPennine Express
• Northern Rail

}}

|NW

|Scotrail

|FirstGroup

|{{dts|17 October 2004}}

|{{dts|31 March 2015}}

|Abellio ScotRail

|SR

|TransPennine Express

|{{plainlist|

• FirstGroup (55%)
• Keolis (45%)

}}

|{{dts|1 February 2004}}

|{{dts|31 March 2016}}

|TransPennine Express

|TP

|Gatwick Express

|National Express

|{{dts|28 April 1996}}

|{{dts|22 June 2008}}

|Southern

|GX

|InterCity East Coast

|Sea Containers

|{{dts|28 April 1996}}

|{{dts|8 December 2007}}

|National Express East Coast

|GR

|Great Western

|Great Western Holdings

|{{dts|4 February 1996}}

|{{dts|March 1998}}

|First Great Western

|GW

|Open Access

|—

|Heathrow Airport Holdings, FirstGroup

|{{dts|12 June 2005}}

|{{dts|19 May 2018}}

|TfL Rail

|HC

| rowspan="2" |Franchise

|Island Line

|Stagecoach

|{{dts|13 October 1996}}

|{{dts|3 February 2007}}

|South West Trains

|IL

|West Midlands

|Govia

|{{dts|11 November 2007}}

|{{dts|9 December 2017}}

|West Midlands Trains

|LM

|TfL concession

|London Overground

|{{plainlist|

• Arriva UK Trains (50%)
• MTR Corporation (50%)

}}

|{{dts|11 November 2007}}

|{{dts|12 November 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/27193.aspx|title=Media|author=Transport for London|work=tfl.gov.uk}}

|Arriva Rail London

|LO

|Merseytravel contract

|Merseyrail

|MTL

|{{dts|19 January 1997}}

|{{dts|February 2000}}

|Arriva Trains Merseyside

|ME

| rowspan="25" |Franchise

|Midland Main Line

| rowspan="3" |National Express

|{{dts|28 February 1996}}

|{{dts|10 November 2007}}

|East Midlands Trains

|ML

|Greater Anglia

|{{dts|1 April 2004}}

|{{dts|5 February 2012}}

|Greater Anglia

|LE

|InterCity East Coast

|{{dts|9 December 2007}}

|{{dts|13 November 2009}}

|East Coast

|GR

|Northern Rail

|Serco-Abellio

|{{dts|12 December 2004}}

|{{dts|31 March 2016}}

|Arriva Rail North

|NT

|Regional Railways North East

|MTL

|{{dts|2 March 1997}}

|{{dts|February 2000}}

|Arriva Trains Northern

|NS

|North West Regional Railways

|Great Western Holdings

|{{dts|2 March 1997}}

|{{dts|March 1998}}

|First North Western

|NW

|ScotRail

| rowspan="2" |National Express

|{{dts|31 March 1997}}

|{{dts|17 October 2004}}

|First ScotRail

|SR

|North London Railways

|{{dts|2 March 1997}}

|{{dts|10 November 2007}}

|{{plainlist|

• London Midland
• London Overground Rail Operations

}}

|SS

|Integrated Kent

|Govia

|{{dts|1 April 2006}}

|{{dts|16 October 2021}}

|Southeastern

|SE

|South Eastern

|Strategic Rail Authority

|{{dts|9 November 2003}}

|{{dts|31 March 2006}}

|Southeastern

|SE

|South Western

|Stagecoach

|{{dts|4 February 2007}}

|{{dts|19 August 2017}}https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/533363/swf-itt.pdf {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}

|South Western Railway

|SW

|South Central

|Govia

|{{dts|26 August 2001}}

|{{dts|25 July 2015}}

|Govia Thameslink Railway

|SN

|Thames

|Go-Ahead Group

|{{dts|13 October 1996}}

|{{dts|31 March 2004}}

|First Great Western Link

|TT

|Thameslink

|Govia

|{{dts|2 March 1997}}

|{{dts|31 March 2006}}

|First Capital Connect

|TR

|TransPennine Express

|FirstGroup

|{{dts|1 April 2016}}

|{{dts|28 May 2023}}

|TransPennine Trains
(trading as TransPennine Express)

|TP

|Wales & Borders

|Keolis/Amey

|{{dts|14 October 2018}}

|{{dts|6 February 2021}}

|Transport for Wales Rail

|AW

|Valley Lines

|National Express

|{{dts|13 October 1996}}

|{{dts|13 October 2001}}

|Wales & Borders

|VL

|InterCity East Coast

|{{plainlist|

• Virgin Group (10%)
• Stagecoach (90%)

}}

|{{dts|1 March 2015}}

|{{dts|23 June 2018}}

|London North Eastern Railway

|GR

|CrossCountry

| rowspan="2" |Virgin Rail Group

|{{dts|5 January 1997}}

|{{dts|10 November 2007}}

|{{plainlist|

• CrossCountry
• First TransPennine Express
• Virgin Trains West Coast

}}

|VXC

|InterCity West Coast

|{{dts|9 March 1997}}

|{{dts|7 December 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49341772 |title=FirstGroup replaces Virgin to run West Coast route |publisher=BBC Sport |date=14 August 2019 |access-date=14 August 2019}}

|Avanti West Coast

|VT

|West Anglia Great Northern

|National Express

|{{dts|5 January 1997}}

|{{dts|31 March 2004}}

|One

| rowspan="2" |WN

|West Anglia Great Northern

|National Express

|{{dts|5 January 1997}}

|{{dts|31 March 2006}}

|First Capital Connect

|Wales & Borders

|National Express

|{{dts|14 October 2001}}

|{{dts|7 December 2003}}

|Arriva Trains Wales

|WB

|Wales & West

|National Express

|{{dts|13 October 1996}}

|{{dts|13 October 2001}}

|{{plainlist|

• Wales & Borders
• Wessex Trains

}}

|WW

|Wessex

|National Express

|{{dts|14 October 2001}}

|{{dts|31 March 2006}}

|First Great Western

|WE

|Open access

|Wrexham to London

|DB Regio

|{{dts|28 April 2008}}

|{{dts|28 January 2011}}

|Ceased due to lack of profitability

|WS

!Sector of British Rail

!Franchise

!Pre-grouping company

!Original privatised operator

!Current operator(s)