Business and sector codes

A (one day) comprehensive listing

Last update 14 March 2023

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.

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Each passenger train company not only has the ATOC/GB timetable code (see the franchises page), but they also have a business code (two letters) and sector code (two numbers). All the freight companies also have these codes. Passenger operators split the business code into 'profit centres'; these are shown in more detail on the service groups page.

These lists are based on 2015 information with such subsequent developments as are known. There may be historical codes missing from them.

Business codes

Various systems use these two-letter codes, certainly the mainframe for TRUST and logging on codes. Many companies have more than one code depending on how their cost allocations are set up. Legal names are given here where appropriate; names in [square brackets] are trading names where different and helpful.

It is interesting to note that Freightliner has the code DB.

Business code Description
A1 National
A2 England & Wales
A3 London & South East
A4 Long Distance
A5 Regional
A6 Scotland
AO unknown
BC Grantrail
CA Railway DDS
CB Finance & HQ
CC College Of Railway Technology
CD AEA Technology
CE Miller Liability
CF Business Systems
CG First Procurement
CH Railpart (UK)
CI British Rail Telecommunications [Central Services agency]
CJ TCI Projects
CK Residual Works and Depots
CL Interfleet Technology
CM Engineering Link
CN WS Atkins National Train Enquiry Services
CO CMS RTAC Warrant
CP Scientifics
CQ Railtest
CR Technical Services
CS National Rail Supplies Service Centres
CT Bodycote Materials
CU Interlogic Controllers
CV WS Atkins Opal
CW National Rail Supplies
CX TCI Operational Research
CY Disagregation
CZ BRB Subsidiary Defaults
D1 Freightliner Infrastructure
D2 Freightliner Heavy Haul
D8 Freightliner Intermodal
DA English Welsh & Scottish Railway
DA Railfreight Distribution
DA DB Cargo International
DB Freightliner Intermodal
DH Freightliner Heavy Haul
E1 GWR charters
EA English Welsh & Scottish Railway
EA Transpennine Express
EB Abellio Greater Anglia
EB Abellio East Anglia
EC Grand Central
ED Northern Rail
EE Heathrow Connect
EF First Greater Western [First Great Western; Great Western Railway]
EG First Capital Connect
EH XC Trains [CrossCountry]
EI Wrexham, Shropshire & Marylebone Railway
EJ London & Birmingham Railway [London Midland]
EJ West Midlands Trains [London Northwestern Railway; West Midlands Railway]
EK London Overground Rail Operations
EK Arriva Rail London [London Overground]
EL Glasgow Trains
EM East Midlands Trains
EM Abellio East Midlands
EN Devon & Cornwall Railways
ES Serco Caledonian Sleepers
ET Govia Thameslink Railway [Thameslink; Southern; Great Northern; Gatwick Express]
EU Virtual European paths
EX MTR Corporation (Crossrail) [TfL Rail]
FA Loadhaul
FA English Welsh & Scottish Railway European Freight
FD English Welsh & Scottish Railway International
FE English Welsh & Scottish Railway [Mainline Freight]
FL English Welsh & Scottish Railway [Transrail Freight]
FM DB Schenker [Rail express systems]
GA Eurostar International
GA Eurostar (UK)
GB Rail Europe
GC IPAC
GD Eurotunnel
HA Scotrail
HA First Scotrail
HA Scotrail Railways
HB London North Eastern Railway
HB Virgin Trains East Coast
HB East Coast Main Line Company
HB NXEC Trains [National Express East Coast]
HB Great North Eastern Railway
HB Intercity East Coast
HC Arriva Trains Northern
HC Northern Spirit
HC Regional Railways North East
HD North Western Trains Company [First North Western]
HD North West Regional Railways
HE Merseyrail Electrics (2002)
HE Arriva Trains Merseyside
HE Merseyrail Electrics
HF InterCity West Coast
HF West Coast Trains [Virgin Trains West Coast]
HF First Trenitalia West Coast Rail [Avanti West Coast]
HG Central Trains
HH CrossCountry Trains [Virgin CrossCountry]
HI Midland Main Line
HJ Great Western Trains [First Great Western]
HK Wales & West Passenger Trains [Wessex Trains; Wales & West]
HK South Wales & West Railway
HL Cardiff Railway Company [Wales & Borders Trains]
HL Arriva Trains Wales
HL Keolis Amey Operations/Gweithrediadau Keolis Amey Limited [Transport for Wales]
HM Heathrow Express
HN First Great Western Link
HN Thames Trains
HO The Chiltern Railway Company
HP North London Railways
HP Silverlink Train Services
HQ West Anglia & Great Northern
HR Great Eastern Railway [First Great Eastern]
HS Anglia Railways Train Services
HT c2c rail
HU SE Trains [Southeastern]
HU London & South Eastern Railway [Southeastern]
HU South Eastern Trains
HU Connex South Eastern
HV Gatwick Express
HW Connex South Central
HW New Southern Railway
HW South Central
HW Southern Railway
HX Thameslink Rail
HY First MTR South Western Trains [South Western Railway]
HY South West Trains
HY Stagecoach South Western Trains [South West Trains]
HZ Island Line
IS GB Railways
JA First Info
JB On Time Design
JC Rail Property
JD P&MM Railpart Doncaster
JE Red Funnel
JF P&MM Infrastructure
JG NXEC Telesales
JH former Bus HQ
JI totaljourney.com
JJ First Procurement Association
JK Qjump
JL London offices
JM Rail Europe 4a
JN Newcastle Telesales
JO Rail Gourmet
JP ATOC
JQ ATOC
JR Rail Settlement Plan [RSP]
JS FCM Travel (JS)
JT Travel Agents
JU Charing Cross Canteen
JV Trainline
JW Harry Weeks Travel
JX A G Gates
JY Clyde Travel
JZ BRB Subsidiary Default
KA Bombardier East Ham
KB Alstom Train Services Glasgow
KC Bombardier Aylesbury
KD Adtranz Doncaster
KE Alstom Eastleigh
KF Maintrain
KG Railcare Glasgow
KH Siemens
KI Alstom Chester
KJ Alstom Shields
KK Hunslet-Barclay
KL London And North Western Railway
KM Marcroft
KN Adtranz Manchester
KO Adtranz Etches Park
KP Allied Inspection
KQ Pullman Rail
KR West Coast Traincare
KS Adtranz Norwich
KT Adtranz Hornsey
KU Prorail
KV AdtranzConnex Joint Venture
KW Railcare Wolverton
KX Railcare
KY Brush Traction
KZ Adtranz HQ
LA Transrail Freight
LB EWS Railway Direct
LC Loram
LD East Coast Trains [Lumo]
LF Grand Union Trains
LG Legge Infrastructure Services
LN Great North Western Railway
LR Network Rail On Track Machines
LS Locomotive Services (TOC)
MA Rail express systems
MB Special Trains Unit
MC Rail Express Systems special trains
MD unknown
MV Varamis Rail
NA Passenger Disputed Minutes
NB Freight Disputed Minutes
NC Contractor Disputed Minutes
ND unknown
NE unknown
NF unknown
NI unknown
NP National Power
NR Network Rail Reserved Pathings (Non QJ)
OA BT Police
OD Lorne Stewart
OE Sema Group
OG CAP Gemini
P1 GB Railfreight engineering trains
P2 Victa Westlink Rail passenger charters
P3 Advenza Cotswolds passenger charters
P4 GB Railfreight charters
P5 West Coast Railway Company infrastructure
P6 Devon & Cornwall Railway infrastructure
P8 Rail Operations Group charters
PA West Coast Railway Company
PB Rail Charter Services
PC Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
PD Mendip Rail
PE GB Railfreight
PF Hull Trains Company
PG Nexus
PG DB Regio Tyne & Wear
PH Rail Operations Group
PI Advenza Freight
PJ Merlin Rail
PJ Victa Westlink Rail
PK Pre Metro Operations
PL Cotswold Rail
PM Merlin Rail
PM On Route Logistics UK
PN Freight Europe
PO Devon & Cornwall Railways
PP Greater Manchester PTE
PQ Riviera Trains
PR North Yorkshire Moors Railway
PS SNCF Freight
PT Europorte Channel
PV Victa Railfreight
PZ Wessex (final use)
QA Wrong TSC
QA Network Rail Head Quarters
QB Network Rail Sussex
QC Network Rail Wessex
QD Network Rail Western
QE Network Rail Midlands/Central
QF Network Rail North West
QG Network Rail London North East
QH Network Rail Anglia
QI Network Rail East Coast
QJ Network Rail Virtual Freight Co
QJ Network Rail Eastern
QK Network Rail East Coast Main Line
QK Network Rail Southern
QL Network Rail Scotland
QM Network Rail Kent
QN Network Rail Property
QN Network Rail West Coast Main Line South
QO Network Rail External Customer
QP Network Rail Major Projects
QQ Network Rail Midland & Continental (HS1)
QR Network Rail London North West
QR Network Rail London North West & Central
QS Network Rail Ex RSSB
QS Network Rail Scotland
QT Network Rail South East Assets Territory
QU Network Rail Information Systems
QU Network Rail Western & Wales
QV Network Rail Midland & Continental
QV Network Rail East Midlands
QW Network Rail Wales
QY Network Rail UK Private Infrastructure
QZ Network Rail Non UK
R1 Fastline infrastructure
R2 Colas infrastructure
R4 Harsco Rail freight
RA Balfour Beatty Rail renewals
RB Carillion Rail
RB GTRM
RC Fastline maintenance
RC Jarvis Facilities
RD First Engineering
RD Swietelsky Babcock Rail (SB Rail)
RE Amey Rail
RF Balfour Beatty 'Reg Projects Lnd'
RG Amec
RG Colas Rail freight
RH Volker Rail
RH Grantrail
RI Balfour Beatty
RJ Fastline Freight
RJ Jarvis Track Renewal Company
RK Centrac
RL Northern Track Renewal Unit
RL Jarvis Fastline (Northern)
RM Scotland Track Renewals
RM Jarvis Fastline (Scotland)
RM Network Rail Roz Schedule Test/Internal Testing
RN Western Track Renewals
RN Jarvis Fastline (Western)
RO Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering
RO First Engineering
RP Adtranz Aylesbury
RP Balfour Beatty
RQ Carillion (CTRL Phase 1)
RR JSD Research & Development
RS Serco Rail Maintenance
RT Harsco Rail
RU Jarvis non-rail
RU Seco Rail
RV CEDAC London
RV WS Atkins CEDAC
RW Amey Seco
RX BPE
RY Power Track
RZ Balfour Beatty Rail Plant
SA Eversholt Rail
SB Porterbrook
SC Angel Train Contracts
SD Serco Management Services
SD Serco Rail Operations
SE Serco Support Services
SF Mainline Station Cleaners
SG Serco (RT99)
SH Serco Test Services
SI Serco Rail Maintenance
SJ South Yorkshire Supertram
SM Controller
SO SLC Operations
SO RailAdventure UK
SP The Swanage Railway Company
TA British Rail Telecommunications
TK Serco Edinburgh Telesales
TL London Call Centre
TN BT 'Conn In Bus'
TR National Rail 'Com' Centre
TS Scotland Call Centre
TY Vintage Trains
UB Thales
UC Interfleet Technology
UD Engineering Link
UE Network Engineering Services
UF ISS (London)
UK Raildirect
US RSSB
UT LTS Rail
VA Red Star Parcels
VB Adtranz Chart Leacon
VC Adtranz Ilford
VD Rail express systems special trains
VE Rail Vehicle Engineering
VF Owen Williams Railways
VG Eversholt Rail
VG HSBC Rail UK
VH Angel Train Contracts
VI Porterbrook Leasing
VJ Occupational Health
VK Catalys Rail Training
VL Westinghouse Signals
VM Fragonset Railways
VM Rail express systems
VN Rail Projects
VO Materials Engineering
VP Quality & Safety
VQ CEDG York
VR Scott Wilson Railways
VS Scott Wilson Railways
VT WS Atkins CEDAC
VU James Scott-BPE
VV WS Atkins Rail
VW Adtranz Signals
VX Rail Pension Management
VY Railpen Investments
VZ Pension Trustees
W1 DB Cargo Charters
WA DB Cargo
WA DB Schenker
WA English Welsh & Scottish Railway
X1 Direct Rail Services charters
X2 Direct Rail Services infrastructure
XA RSL Use Only
XB LUL District Line (Wimbledon)
XC LUL Bakerloo Line (Harrow)
XD 'BR' Over LUL Line
XE LUL District Line (Richmond)
XF Balfour Beatty Rail Maintenance
XG National Power
XH Direct Rail Services
XI ICL
XJ Ffestiniog Railway
XM LUL Metropolitan Line (Croxley Rail Link)
XN OCE (UK)
XP Peak Rail
XT Travel Agents
XU Union Pacific
XV Tiphook Rail
XW Waterman Railways
XX P&O freight customers
XX Wrong TSC
YA Group Head Quarters Non SAU
YB Residual Central Services
YC Property Board
YD BR Residual Body
YG Hanson & Hall Rail Services
ZA Source System Control
ZB Corporate
ZB Alliance Rail
ZC Source System Disaggregation
ZD Disaggregation PC
ZE Disaggregation
ZF Passenger Accounting
ZG Rail Settlement Plan 1 & 2
ZH Rail Settlement Plan 3
ZJ SRTL ltd
ZO DFT
ZT Scottish Executive/'Sta'
ZZ DB Schenker Rail Infrastructure Transport System [RITS]

Sector codes

These are two numbers. Older franchises were roughly in the 60-89 series, and new ones start at 20. 'Like for like' franchises tend to keep their original codes.

These codes are used in the CORPUS computer system. Old codes have been retained in CORPUS and some of the descriptions are now questionable and some of the listed codes may never have been used. This may be to ensure they do not get reused within seven years.

Sector codes also have a sub sector code for some TOCs to break down service groups. The sector codes are derived from the eight digit train service codes formally known as profit centre codes; there are thousands of these and some of the real time sites have these codes shown against a particular train schedule.

A train can have more than one service code on its journey perhaps changing at a PTE boundary point. Codes are used for revenue allocation in other computer systems. A Glasgow-Newcastle train has a change of service code at Carlisle to change it from Scotrail to Northern service. Other codes used for accounting appear in the NLC pages.

Sector code Description
02 JSD Research & Development
03 Victa Rail
04 Rail Express Systems (parcels)
04 DB Cargo (charters)
04 DB Schenker (charters)
05 DB Cargo Freight
05 DB Schenker Freight
05 English Welsh & Scottish Railway
06 Eurostar (UK)
06 Eurostar International
07 Racal BRT
07 Rail Operations Group
08 English Welsh & Scottish Railway International
08 DB Schenker International
08 DB Cargo International
09 Freightliner Intermodal
10 Serco Railtest/Serco Rail Operations
11 Freight Company North East (Construction)
11 Freightliner Heavy Haul
12 Freight Company North East (Coal)
12 Freight Europe
12 Grand Union Trains
13 Freight Company North East (Metals)
13 Europorte Channel
14 Freight Company North East (Petroleum)
14 DB Cargo/DB Schenker
14 Alliance Rail
14 Grand Central (North West)
15 Freight Company North East (Contract Services)
15 DB Cargo/DB Schenker
15 Network Rail On Track Machines
16 Freight Company North East (Rail Services)
16 DB Schenker
16 DB Cargo
17 Network Rail Head Quarters/Wrong TSC
18 Freight Company South East (Construction)
18 DB Schenker
18 DB Schenker
18 Swanage Railway
19 Freight Company South East (Coal)
19 Wrong TSC
19 South Yorkshire Supertram
20 Transpennine Express
21 Greater Anglia/Abellio Greater Anglia/National Express East Anglia/'one'
22 Grand Central
23 Northern Rail
24 Heathrow Connect
25 Transrail
25 First Greater Western
26 Freight Company West (Coal)
26 First Capital Connect
27 Freight Company West (Metals)
27 Arriva CrossCountry
28 Greater Anglia
28 East Midlands Trains
29 Freight Company West (Contract Services)
29 London Midland
29 West Midlands Trains
30 Freight Company West (Rail Services)
30 London Overground Rail Operations
30 Arriva Rail London
31 Network Rail Virtual Freight Co
32 Wrexham Shropshire & Marylebone Railway
33 Transport For London Rail (Crossrail)
34 BR Infrastructure Services Scotland
34 Devon & Cornwall Railways
35 BR Infrastructure Services North East
35 Caledonian Sleepers
36 BR Infrastructure Services North West
36 Wrong TSC
36 Vintage Trains
37 BR Infrastructure Services Central
37 Seco Rail
38 Carillion Rail (CTRL Phase 1)
39 Harsco
40 Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Maintenance Company/Balfour Beatty Rail Plant
41 Balfour Beatty Track Renewals Company
42 Colas Rail/Amec
43 Amey
44 Carillion Rail/GTRM
45 Centrac
45 East Coast Trains
46 Swietelsky Babcock Rail (SB Rail)/First Engineering
47 Fastline/Jarvis Maintenance
48 Fastline/Jarvis Renewals
49 Volker Rail/Grantrail
50 West Coast Railway Company
51 North Yorkshire Moors Railway
52 Venice Simplon Orient Express
52 Pre Metro Operations
53 Mendip Rail
53 SNCF Freight
54 GB Railfreight
55 Hull Trains Company
56 Nexus/DB Regio Tyne & Wear Metro/Nexus
57 Cotswold Rail
58 Advenza Freight
59 On Route Logistics (UK)
59 Merlin Rail
60 Scotrail/First Scotrail/Scotrail Railways
61 London North Eastern Railway/Virgin Trains East Coast/East Coast/National Express East Coast/Great North Eastern Railway
62 Arriva Trains Northern
63 North Western Trains
64 Merseyrail Electrics (2002)/Arriva Trains Merseyside/Merseyrail Electrics
65 First Trenitalia West Coast Rail (Avanti)/West Coast Trains (Virgin Trains)
66 Central Trains
67 Virgin CrossCountry
68 Midland Mainline
69 First Great Western (High Speed Services)/Great Western Trains
70 Wessex Trains/Wales & West
71 Cardiff Railway Company
71 Arriva Trains Wales
71 Transport for Wales Rail
72 Special Trains Unit
72 Wrong TSC
72 Legge Infrastructure Services
73 First Great Western Link/Thames Trains
74 Chiltern Railway Company
75 Silverlink Train Services
76 West Anglia Great Northern
77 Great Eastern Railways
78 Anglia Railways (UK)
79 c2c Rail/LTS Rail
80 Southeastern/South Eastern Trains/Connex South Eastern
81 Gatwick Express
82 Southern
83 Thameslink Rail
84 South Western Railway/South West Trains
85 Island Line
86 Heathrow Express
87 West Coast Railway Company
87 Wrong TSC
88 Govia Thameslink Railway (Thameslink Southern Great Northern)
89 LUL Metropolitan Line (Croxley Rail Link)
89 Locomotive Services
90 LUL District Line (Wimbledon)
91 LUL Bakerloo Line (Harrow)
92 Network Rail Reserved Pathings (Non QJ)
93 LUL District Line (Richmond)
94 Balfour Beatty
94 Ffestiniog Railway
95 Waterman Railways
95 Peak Rail
95 Varamis Rail
96 DB Cargo/DB Schenker/National Power
97 Direct Rail Services
98 Network Rail Roz Schedule Test/Dummy
99 Wrong TSC/Invalid Train Service Code

Sample sector and business codes in use

This list is understood to be up to date at August 2015.

Use Code Notes
JSD Research & Development 02 RR
Victa Rail 03 PV
DB Cargo Charters/DB Schenker Charters 04 WA
DB Cargo Freight/DB Schenker Freight 05 WA
EPS (Eurostar) 06 GA
Rail Operations Group 07 PH
DB Cargo International/DB Schenker International 08 DA
Freightliner 09 DB
Transpennine Express 20 EA
National Express East Anglia 21 EB
Grand Central 22 EC
Northern Rail 23 ED
Heathrow Connect 24 EE
First Great Western 25 EF
CrossCountry 27 EH
East Midlands 28 EM
London Midland 29 EJ
London Overground Rail Operations (LOROL) 30 EX
Transport For London Crossrail 33 XR
DC Rail 34 PO
Caledonian Sleepers 35 ES
Seco Rail 37 RU
Carillion (CTRL) 38 RQ
Harsco 39 RT
Balfour Beatty Rail 40 RZ
Colas Rail (ex Amec) 42 RG
AMEY 43 RE
Carillion (ex GTRM) 44 RB
SB Rail (ex First Engineering) 46 RD
Grantrail 49 RH
West Coast Railway Company 50 PA
North Yorkshire Moors Railway 51 PR
PreMetro Operations 52 PK
SNCF Freight 53 PS
GB Railfreight 54 PE
Hull Trains Company 55 PF
Nexus (Tyne & Wear Metro) 56 PG
Advanza Freight 58 PI
Merlin (On Route Logistics) 59 PM
Scotrail 60 HA
Virgin East Coast 61 HB
Merseyrail 64 HE
Virgin West Coast 65 HF
Arriva Trains Wales 71 HL
Chiltern Railway 74 HO
c2c Rail 79 HT
South Eastern 80 HU
Southern 82 HW To 25 July 2015
South Western Trains 84 HY
Island Lines 85 HZ
Heathrow Express 86 HM
Govia Thameslink Great Northern 88 ET
LUL District Line (Wimbledon) 90 XB
LUL Bakerloo Line (Harrow) 91 XC
LUL District Line (Richmond) 93 XE
Ffestiniog Railway 94 XJ
Direct Rail Services 97 XH