Licences issued by the Office of the Rail Regulator/Office of Rail Regulation/Office of Rail and Road (ORR)

A (hopefully) comprehensive listing

Companies beginning M

Last update 8 March 2024

Additional information is always gratefully received, whether entirely new records (particularly historical records) or information to fill in gaps or correct errors, via the contact link under the Miscellaneous entry in the navigation bar above. Thank you.

Please select a letter from the list below:

Mainline Freight Limited

Initially a British Railways Board subsidiary, change of control 1 March 1996 (North and South Railways Limited)

Network licence LIC/31/01

Consultation began 3 March 1995; from 31 March 1995; surrendered 26 March 1997

Non-passenger licence LIC/31/02

Consultation began 3 March 1995; from 31 March 1995; surrendered 26 March 1997

Licence exemption 1995 No 2

Consultation began 3 March 1995; from 31 March 1995; revoked 21 March 1997

Network associated with depots below

Licence exemption 1995 No 3

Consultation began 3 March 1995; from 31 March 1995; revoked 21 March 1997

All light maintenance depots existing at the time of the exemption used wholly or mainly for non-passenger light maintenance

Maintrain Limited

Light maintenance depot licence UK 03 1998 0002 formerly LIC/106/01

Consultations began 27 November 1998; from 1 January 1999; revoked 13 December 2007

Birmingham Soho from 27 June 1999

Birmingham Tyseley from 27 June 1999

Cambridge Coldham Lane requested from 27 June 1999 but ORR considered 'exempt', not listed in December 2001 return; present on December 2004 return

Cricklewood Sidings from 14 May 2003, not listed from November 2004 return

Derby Etches Park to 30 June 2007

Leeds Neville Hill to 30 June 2007

Machynlleth from 27 June 1999; to 28 November 2004

Nottingham Eastcroft from 27 June 1999

Shrewsbury Abbey Foregate from 15 September 1999

Worcester Shrub Hill from 27 June 1999

Network licence

Consultations began 27 November 1998; from 1 January 1999; revoked 13 December 2007 not on ORR register

Network not defined

Maritime Transport Limited

Licence exemption NE/15/01

Consultation began 21 January 2015; from 10 March 2015

Network forming Birch Coppice exchange sidings and approved extensions, any non-passenger train on network

Licence exemption NE/19/01

Consultation began 22 October 2019; from 1 December 2019

Agreed intermodal freight terminals and any non-passenger train within these terminals

East Midlands Gateway

Hams Hall Distribution Park Intermodal freight terminal from 3 July 2022

Wakefield Europort

May Gurney (Construction) Limited

See May Gurney Limited

May Gurney Limited

See Kier MG Limited

McAlpine Capital Projects Limited

See Alfred McAlpine Capital Projects Limited

McNicholas Construction Services Limited

Licence exemption 2005 No 13

Consultation began 22 July 2005; from 15 November 2005

Non-passenger trains within possessions only

MDA Rail Limited

Licence exemption 2007 No 7

Consultation began 3 March 2007; from 22 June 2007; revoked 8 July 2019

Non-passenger trains within possessions only

MECX Group Limited

Licence exemption NP/18/03

Consultation began 26 September 2018; from 22 November 2018

Non-passenger trains within possessions only

Medway Rail Limited

Licence exemption NE/24/01

Consultation began 14 December 2023; from 4 February 2024

Network forming Doncaster iPort Rail Terminal and any train, station or depot on network

Mendip Rail Limited

Non-passenger licence LIC/107/01

Consultation began 8 October 1999; from 2 June 2000; revoked 26 November 2003

Merlin Rail Limited

See F M Rail Limited

Merseyrail Electrics 2002 Limited

Passenger licence UK 03 2003 0011

Consultation began 17 January 2003; from 17 July 2003

Light maintenance depot licence UK 03 2003 0014

Consultation began 17 January 2003; from 17 July 2003

Birkenhead North

Liverpool Kirkdale

Station licence UK 03 2003 0013

Consultation began 17 January 2003; from 17 July 2003

Aigburth

Ainsdale

Aintree

Aughton Park

Bache

Bank Hall

Bebington

Bidston

Birkdale

Birkenhead Central

Birkenhead Hamilton Square

Birkenhead North

Birkenhead Park

Blundellsands & Crosby

Bootle New Strand

Bootle Oriel Road

Bromborough Rake

Bromborough

Brunswick

Capenhurst

Conway Park

Cressington

Eastham Rake

Ellesmere Port

Fazakerley

Formby

Freshfield

Garston (Merseyside) to 13 April 2007

Green Lane

Hall Road

Headbolt Lane from 2 October 2023

Hightown

Hillside Southport

Hooton

Hoylake

Hunts Cross

James Street

Kirkby (Merseyside)

Kirkdale

Leasowe

Little Sutton

Liverpool Central

Liverpool Lime Street [low level]

Maghull

Maghull North from 18 June 2018

Manor Road

Meols

Moorfields

Moreton (Merseyside)

New Brighton

Old Roan

Ormskirk

Orrell Park

Overpool

Port Sunlight

Rice Lane

Rock Ferry

St Michaels

Sandhills

Seaforth & Litherland

Southport

Spital

Town Green

Wallasey Grove Road

Wallasey Village

Walton (Merseyside)

Waterloo (Merseyside)

West Kirby

Non-passenger licence UK 03 2003 0012

Consultation began 17 January 2003; from 17 July 2003

Station licence UK 03 2005 0086

Consultation began 27 May 2005; from 23 December 2005

Liverpool South Parkway

Merseyrail Electrics Limited

See Arriva Trains Merseyside Limited

Merseyside Passenger Transport Services Limited

Operator of last resort, subsidiary of Merseytravel

Passenger licence UK 03 2014 0004

Consultation began 28 July 2014; from 9 September 2014

Light maintenance depot licence UK 03 2014 0006

Consultation began 28 July 2014; from 9 September 2014

Depots not defined

Station licence UK 03 2014 0005

Consultation began 28 July 2014; from 9 September 2014

Stations not defined

Merthyr (South Wales) Limited

Formerly Miller Argent (South Wales) Limited (to 15 February 2018) then Blackstone (South Wales) Limited (16 February 2018 to 8 July 2018)

Licence exemption 2009 No 1

Consultation began 10 March 2008; from 4 February 2009

Network forming line Gelligaer and Hafod Quarries to grid reference SO092052

Midland Main Line Limited

Initially a British Railways Board subsidiary, change of control 28 April 1996 (National Express Group plc)

Passenger licence LIC/13/03

Consultation began 27 January 1995; from 1 April 1995; revoked 20 November 2007 not on ORR register

Light maintenance depot licence LIC/13/01

Consultation began 27 January 1995; from 1 April 1995; revoked 10 July 2001

Derby Etches Park transferred to Maintrain 1 January 1999

Leeds Neville Hill transferred to Maintrain 1 January 1999

Station licence UK 03 1995 0007 formerly LIC/13/04

Consultation began 27 January 1995; from 1 April 1995; revoked 20 November 2007

Chesterfield

Derby

Kettering

Leicester

London St Pancras to 6 June 2000

Market Harborough

Sheffield

Wellingborough

Non-passenger licence UK 03 1995 0006 formerly LIC/13/02

Consultation began 27 January 1995; from 1 April 1995; revoked 20 November 2007

European passenger licence UK 01 2005 0060 formerly LIC/13/06

From 28 November 2005; revoked 20 November 2007

Passenger SNRP UK 02 2005 0061

From 28 November 2005; revoked 20 November 2007

European freight licence UK 01 2005 0062 formerly LIC/13/05

From 28 November 2005; revoked 20 November 2007

Freight SNRP UK 02 2005 0063

From 28 November 2005; revoked 20 November 2007

Light maintenance depot licence UK 03 2007 0013

Consultation began 10 May 2007; from 1 July 2007 (ORR annual report gives 8 June 2007); revoked 20 November 2007

Derby Etches Park

Leeds Neville Hill

Note that this company was shown on initial consultations as Midland Main Limited

Midlands East Trains Limited

Operator of last resort, subsidiary of Department for Transport

Formerly DfT OLR13 Limited (6 March 2019 to 16 February 2021)

European passenger licence UK 01 2020 0007

Consultation began 23 June 2020; from 10 September 2020

Light maintenance depot licence UK 03 2020 0025

Consultation began 23 June 2020; from 10 September 2020

Depots not defined

Station licence UK 03 2020 0024

Consultation began 23 June 2020; from 10 September 2020

Stations not defined

Non-passenger licence UK 03 2020 0023

Consultation began 23 June 2020; from 10 September 2020

Passenger SNRP UK 02 2020 0007

From 10 September 2020

The Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust

Licence exemption 1997 No 5 (2)

From 12 December 1997; revoked 1 May 1999

Network forming line East Dereham to Whinburgh, any passenger or non-passenger train on network

Also stations:

East Dereham

Thuxton

and any other on network

Licence exemption 1999 No 6

Consultation began 15 January 1999; from 30 April 1999

Network East Dereham-Wymondham, any passenger or non-passenger train and any station on network

Licence exemption H/14/01

Consultation began 6 November 2014; from 17 December 2014

Network forming the Mid Norfolk Railway as at 17 December 2014 and approved extensions, any passenger or non-passenger train and any station or light maintenance depot on network

Miller Argent (South Wales) Limited

See Blackstone (South Wales) Limited

Mitie Technical Facilities Management Limited

Station licence UK 03 2013 0001

Consultation began 22 July 2013; from 1 September 2013; corrigendum correcting conditions ('stations' rather than 'trains', reference to this rather than European licence) 1 May 2015; revoked 7 November 2023

Ashford International international portion only

Modus Operations Limited

Licence exemption NE/17/03

Consultation began 12 December 2017; from 13 January 2018; revoked 16 February 2024

Iport Rail Terminal, Doncaster, any train, station and light maintenance depot operated on the exempt network

Morgan Est plc

See Morgan Sindall (Infrastructure) plc

Morgan Sindall (Infrastructure) plc

See MS (Mest) Limited

Mossend Railway Company Limited

Licence exemption

Consultation began 16 February 1996

Network forming Mossend Freight Village

Motherwell Bridge Rail Limited

Licence exemption

Consultation began 18 June 2001; additional consultation began 27 July 2001

Non-passenger trains within possessions only

Mowlem Limited

See Carillion JM Limited

Mowlem plc

See Mowlem Limited

MS (Mest) Limited

Formerly Morgan Est plc (to 4 June 2010) then Morgan Sindall (Infrastructure) plc (5 June 2010 to 30 December 2015)

Licence exemption 2008 No 9

Consultation began 29 April 2008; from 26 June 2008

Non-passenger trains within possessions only

MTR Corporation (Crossrail) Limited

European passenger licence UK 01 2015 0004

Consultation began 20 April 2015; from 31 May 2015

Station licence UK 03 2015 0005

Consultation began 20 April 2015; from 31 May 2015

Abbey Wood from 22 October 2017

Acton Main Line from 10 December 2017

Brentwood

Burnham (Buckinghamshire) from 10 December 2017

Canary Wharf from 7 December 2021 for testing; passenger use from 24 May 2022

Chadwell Heath

Custom House from 12 April 2021 for testing; passenger use from 24 May 2022

Ealing Broadway from 10 December 2017

Forest Gate

Gidea Park

Goodmayes

Hanwell from 10 December 2017

Harold Wood

Hayes & Harlington from 10 December 2017

IIford

Iver from 10 December 2017

Langley (Berks) from 10 December 2017

Manor Park

Maryland

Paddington from 23 July 2021 for testing; passenger use from 24 May 2022

Romford

Seven Kings

Southall from 10 December 2017

Stratford (London)

Taplow from 10 December 2017

West Drayton from 10 December 2017

West Ealing from 10 December 2017

Woolwich from 25 June 2021 for testing; passenger use from 24 May 2022

Passenger SNRP UK 02 2015 0004

From 31 May 2015

Licence exemption L/16/02

Consultation began 15 July 2016; from 14 November 2016; revoked 27 January 2022

Light maintenance depot forming Siding 4, Gidea Park carriage sidings and any train being used on the network within this depot.