Last update 16 November 2023
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National Rail Contracts (NRCs) took over from the previous franchising system from 2021. Public Sector Service Contracts apply to 'nationalised' TOCs, starting with LNER in 2018. This page aims to bring together all such contract awards.
| Contract | Name given by contracting authority at time of letting. All are NRCs except those marked otherwise; a diamond (♦) denotes a Public Sector Service Contract or equivalent for the government area. |
|---|---|
| Preceded by | Links to preceding contract(s) to simplify tracing operator history. |
| Dates | The dates for which the particular contract ran. Entries are listed in order of start date. Note that most, but by no means all, contracts ran from/to 02:00/01:59 respectively to suit the railway traffic day. This listing treats the transition time as midnight of the calendar day. A club (♣) indicates a Temporary Measures Agreement, introduced by the Scottish government from 1 April 2022. |
| Trading as | Public face of a contractor or marketing title. |
| GB timetable code | Code used to distinguish the franchise's services in the GB Passenger Railway/National Rail timetable. For those codes that do not normally appear in this timetable, marked with a dagger (†), the code that is (or has been) used in other systems (e.g. Realtime Trains or similar that receive official feeds). |
| Run by | The 'front end' limited company (legal entity) running the contract. |
| Superseded by | Links to successor contract(s) to simplify tracing operator development. |
| Notes | Any other useful or interesting information. |
| Contract | InterCity East Coast ♦ |
|---|---|
| Preceded by | East Coast Main Line Company Ltd |
| Dates | 24 June 2018 to 27 June 2020 (original contract) 28 June 2020 to 22 June 2025 (contract extension) (originally to 24 June 2023, two year extension option taken by DfT) |
| Trading as | LNER |
| GB timetable code | GR HB (used in 9 December 2018 timetable in operator page; table column headings retained GR) |
| Run by | London North Eastern Railway Ltd [DfT OLR Holdings]✖DfT OLR Holdings is an operator of last resort reporting to the Secretary of State for Transport |
| Notes | Operator of last resort between taking over from previous incumbent and possibly reletting contract |
| Contract | Northern ♦ |
| Preceded by | Arriva Rail North Ltd |
| Dates | 1 March 2020 to 15 May 2021 (original contract: Barton-on-Humber service) 1 March 2020 to 28 February 2022 (original contract: remaining services) 1 March 2022 to 28 February 2027 (contract extension) |
| Trading as | Northern |
| GB timetable code | NT ZZ (used in error in May 2021 timetable for one train shown on tables 39 and 41) |
| Run by | Northern Trains Ltd [DfT OLR Holdings]✖DfT OLR Holdings is an operator of last resort reporting to the Secretary of State for Transport |
| Superseded by | Abellio East Midlands Ltd (Barton-on-Humber service) remaining contract still current |
| Notes | Operator of last resort between taking over from previous incumbent and possibly reletting contract, expected to be no earlier than 2026 |
| Franchise | Cross Country contract describes 2020-2023 award as a franchise |
| Preceded by | XC Trains Ltd |
| Dates | 18 October 2020 to 14 October 2023 15 October 2023 to 9 October 2027 (can be extended to 2 October 2031 at DfT discretion) |
| Trading as | CrossCountry |
| GB timetable code | XC |
| Run by | XC Trains Ltd [Arriva]✖Arriva is a subsidiary of DB (Deutsche Bahn, the German state railway) |
| Contract | Wales & Borders ♦ |
| Preceded by | Keolis Amey Operations/Gweithrediadau Keolis Amey Ltd |
| Dates | 7 February 2021 to 6 February 2026 (original agreement; extensions likely) |
| Trading as | Transport for Wales Rail Services |
| GB timetable code | AW |
| Run by | Transport for Wales Rail Ltd✖Transport for Wales Rail is an operator of last resort ultimately reporting to the Welsh Ministers |
| Notes | Operator of last resort between taking over from previous incumbent and possibly reletting contract |
| Contract | South West |
| Preceded by | First MTR South Western Trains Ltd |
| Dates | 30 May 2021 to 24 May 2025 (originally to 27 May 2023, two year extension option taken by DfT) |
| Trading as | South Western Railway |
| GB timetable code | SW IL (Island Line-branded services) |
| Run by | First MTR South Western Trains Ltd [First/MTR Corporation]✖MTR Corporation runs Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway amongst other activities |
| Contract | |
| Preceded by | First Transpennine Express Ltd |
| Dates | 30 May 2021 to 27 May 2023 (transition contract; four year extension option not taken) |
| Trading as | TransPennine Express |
| GB timetable code | TP |
| Run by | First Transpennine Express Ltd |
| Superseded by | Transpennine Trains Ltd |
| Contract | Essex Thameside Railway |
| Preceded by | Trenitalia c2c Ltd |
| Dates | 25 July 2021 to 19 July 2025 (originally to 23 July 2023, two year extension option taken by DfT) |
| Trading as | c2c |
| GB timetable code | CC |
| Run by | Trenitalia✖Trenitalia is a subsidiary of FS (Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, the Italian state railway) c2c Ltd |
| Contract | East Anglia |
| Preceded by | Abellio East Anglia Ltd |
| Dates | 19 September 2021 to 14 September 2024 (can be extended to 19 September 2026 at DfT discretion) |
| Trading as | Greater Anglia |
| GB timetable code | LE SX (Stansted Express-branded services) |
| Run by | Abellio East Anglia Ltd✖Abellio is ultimately part of NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen, the Dutch state railway) [taken over by Transport UK Group Ltd 28 February 2023] |
| Notes | Expected to relinquish Stratford-Meridian Water service to Arriva Rail London |
| Contract | West Midlands |
| Preceded by | West Midlands Trains Ltd |
| Dates | 19 September 2021 to 14 September 2024 (can be extended to 19 September 2026 at DfT discretion) |
| Trading as | West Midlands Railway [Birmingham area services] London Northwestern Railway [West Coast Main Line services] |
| GB timetable code | LM (Network Rail and internal system use and ATOC use for station operation and timetable search) LN † (ATOC use only for train operator list; London Northwestern Railway-branded services) WM † (ATOC use only for train operator list; West Midlands Railway-branded services) |
| Run by | West Midlands Trains Ltd [Abellio✖Abellio is ultimately part of NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen, the Dutch state railway) [taken over by Transport UK Group Ltd 28 February 2023]/East Japan Railway Company/Mitsui & Co] |
| Contract | South Eastern ♦ |
| Preceded by | London & South Eastern Railway Ltd |
| Dates | 17 October 2021 to 12 October 2024 (can be extended to 16 October 2027 at DfT discretion) |
| Trading as | Southeastern |
| GB timetable code | SE |
| Run by | SE Trains Ltd [DfT OLR Holdings]✖DfT OLR Holdings is an operator of last resort reporting to the Secretary of State for Transport |
| Notes | Operator of last resort between taking over from previous incumbent and possibly reletting contract |
| Contract | Chiltern |
| Preceded by | The Chiltern Railway Company Ltd |
| Dates | 31 December 2021 to 31 March 2025 (can be extended to 11 December 2027 at DfT discretion) |
| Trading as | Chiltern Railways |
| GB timetable code | CH |
| Run by | The Chiltern Railway Company Ltd [M40 Trains]✖M40 Trains is a subsidiary of Arriva |
| Contract | ScotRail ♦ |
| Preceded by | Abellio ScotRail Ltd |
| Dates | 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2025 (with options for up to ten years total) ♣ |
| Trading as | ScotRail |
| GB timetable code | SR QC † (used in some internal systems for shipping services only) |
| Run by | ScotRail Trains Ltd [Scottish Rail Holdings]✖Scottish Rail Holdings is an operator of last resort reporting to the Scottish Ministers |
| Notes | Operator of last resort between taking over from previous incumbent and possibly reletting contract |
| Contract | |
| Preceded by | Serco Caledonian Sleepers Ltd |
| Dates | 1 April 2022 to 24 June 2023 ♣ |
| Trading as | Caledonian Sleeper |
| GB timetable code | CS |
| Run by | Serco Caledonian Sleepers Ltd |
| Superseded by | Caledonian Sleeper Ltd |
| Contract | Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern |
| Preceded by | Govia Thameslink Railway Ltd |
| Dates | 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2025 (can be extended to 31 March 2028 at DfT discretion) |
| Trading as | Gatwick Express Great Northern Southern Thameslink; ThamesLink/ |
| GB timetable code | GN (Great Northern-branded services) GX (Gatwick Express-branded services) SN (Southern-branded services) TL (Thameslink-branded services) |
| Run by | Govia Thameslink Railway Ltd✖Govia is a partnership between Go-Ahead and VIA GTI (later known as Keolis), the latter predominantly owned by SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer, the French state railway) |
| Contract | Great Western |
| Preceded by | First Greater Western Ltd |
| Dates | 26 June 2022 to 21 June 2025 (can be extended to 24 June 2028 at DfT discretion) |
| Trading as | Great Western Railway |
| GB timetable code | GW |
| Run by | First Greater Western Ltd |
| Contract | East Midlands |
| Preceded by | East Midlands Trains Ltd |
| Dates | 16 October 2022 to 17 October 2026 (can be extended to 12 October 2030 at DfT discretion) |
| Trading as | East Midlands Railway |
| GB timetable code | EM |
| Run by | Abellio East Midlands Ltd✖Abellio is ultimately part of NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen, the Dutch state railway) [taken over by Transport UK Group Ltd 28 February 2023] |
| Contract | West Coast Partnership |
| Preceded by | First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Ltd |
| Dates | 15 October 2023 to 18 October 2026 (can be extended to 17 October 2032 at DfT discretion) |
| Trading as | Avanti West Coast |
| GB timetable code | VT |
| Run by | First Trenitalia✖Trenitalia is a subsidiary of FS (Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, the Italian state railway) West Coast Rail Ltd |
| Contract | TransPennine Express |
| Preceded by | First Transpennine Express Ltd |
| Dates | 28 May 2023 to date |
| Trading as | TransPennine Express |
| GB timetable code | TP |
| Run by | Transpennine Trains Ltd [DfT OLR Holdings]✖DfT OLR Holdings is an operator of last resort reporting to the Secretary of State for Transport |
| Notes | Operator of last resort between taking over from previous incumbent and possibly reletting contract |
| Contract | Caledonian Sleeper |
| Preceded by | Serco Caledonian Sleepers Ltd |
| Dates | 25 June 2023 to date |
| Trading as | Caledonian Sleeper |
| GB timetable code | CS |
| Run by | Caledonian Sleeper Ltd [Scottish Rail Holdings]✖Scottish Rail Holdings is an operator of last resort reporting to the Scottish Ministers |
| Notes | Operator of last resort between taking over from previous incumbent and possibly reletting contract |
| Contract | Crossrail |
| Preceded by | MTR Corporation (Crossrail) Ltd |
| Dates | 25 May 2025 to May 2032 (contract will be 7 years with options for extensions up to 2 years 7 months at TfL discretion) |
| Trading as | Elizabeth Line |
| GB timetable code | XR |
| Run by | contract not yet awarded |
Timetable change dates appear on this Rail Chronology page.