This article only covers companies operating trains on Network Rail lines. For other companies, see List of British heritage and private railways.
There are many companies operating trains in the United Kingdom, including the 23 operators of franchised passenger services, officially referred to as "train operating companies" or TOCs, as distinct from "freight operating companies".
The following operate the National Rail network.
There are also a number of light rail systems.
Operating companies have ceased to exist for various reasons, including withdrawal of the franchise, the term of the franchise has expired, bankruptcy or merger.
Crossrail, a concession for the cross-London Maidenhead/Heathrow to Shenfield/Abbey Wood line. It has already taken control of its first services between Liverpool Street and Shenfield in May 2015 with the full franchise operating from 2018.
Renaissance Trains, former shareholder in Wrexham & Shropshire, has proposed Glasgow Trains from Glasgow to Blackpool, Liverpool and Nottingham.
Alliance Rail Holdings's Great North Western Railway (GNWR) has approval from Network Rail and the ORR to operate services between Blackpool to Queen's Park station (it has provision rights to run to Euston railway station as engineering works relating to High Speed 2 are likely to affect access into Euston) from 2018
Go! Cooperative (GOCO) has proposed a service from Taunton to Swindon via Nuneaton from December 2017.
East Coast Trains from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley via Stevenage, Newcastle and Morpeth. The operator would start from May 2021.
Passenger operators in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland passenger trains are government-owned by Translink. The following brands are used:
Northern Ireland Railways
Enterprise Belfast-Dublin service, jointly operated by Iarnród Éireann.
Iarnród Éireann (One early morning commuter service from Newry to Dublin every weekday)
Branch Line Society
Compass Tours
DPS Railtours
NENTA Train Tours
Pathfinder Tours
Railway Touring Company
Scottish Railway Preservation Society
Statesman Rail
Steam Dreams
UK Railtours
Venice-Simplon Orient Express (British Pullman and Northern Belle services)
Vintage Trains
In Northern Ireland
Enthusiast Railtours
Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
Irish Railway Record Society
The Modern Railway Society of Ireland
Luxury Railtours
Belmond Grand Hibernian (From August 2016)
Steam Dreams (Emerald Isle Explorer)
Colas Rail
Devon & Cornwall Railways
Direct Rail Services
DB Cargo UK (formerly English Welsh & Scottish Railway)
Freightliner
GB Railfreight
Mendip Rail
