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UK railway operator timetable codesLast update 25 September 2018
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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Introduction | Rail franchise operators | TOC timetable codes | Light rail system operators | Railway operator service groups
This page gives a quick and easy decoder between GB timetable code and the relevant operator. Codes were introduced by BR with the 29 September 1996 timetable for its internal train operating units (TOUs) that later became the first privatised train operating companies (TOCs). This table is based on the brand used and thus some names (e.g. ScotRail) are reused and have multiple dates. Note that dates given here are for the GB Passenger Railway timetable period in which the codes appeared. Naturally, where franchise changes took place at dates other than timetable change dates, the new operator's code had to wait until the next timetable. Operating dates and other information are given on the franchises page.
This list also shows codes for organisations that do not or have not run timetabled passenger trains. Some of these (e.g. Railtrack) appeared in the timetable's commercial information pages as a station operator. Others (e.g. Network Rail [On Track Plant]) have codes allocated in online and internal systems.
Entries are given alphabetically by code and subsequently alphabetically by trading name. All timetable change dates appear on this Rail Chronology page.
| GB timetable code | Trading name | Timetable dates |
|---|
| AM | Arriva Trains Merseyside | 30 September 2001 to 27 September 2003 |
| AN | Arriva Trains Northern | 30 September 2001 to 11 December 2004 |
| AR | Anglia Railways | 29 September 1996 to 22 May 2004 |
| AR | Alliance Rail | 10 December 2017 to date (but company not yet running trains) |
| ATW | Arriva Trains Wales | 17 May 2015 to 12 December 2015 (erroneous code) |
| AW | Arriva Trains Wales | 23 May 2004 to 16 May 2015; 13 December 2015 to 8 December 2018 |
| CA | Cardiff Railway Co | 29 September 1996 to 23 May 1998 |
| CC | c2c | 24 September 2000 to date |
| CH | Chiltern Railways | 29 September 1996 to date |
| CS | Caledonian Sleeper | 17 May 2015 to date |
| CT | Central Trains | 29 September 1996 to 8 December 2007 |
| CX | Connex [South Central and South Eastern] | 27 September 1998 to 18 May 2003 |
| CX | Connex South Eastern | 28 September 2003 to 22 May 2004 |
| DC | Devon & Cornwall Railway | 23 May 2010 to 16 May 2015 |
| EC | InterCity East Coast | 29 September 1996 to 31 May 1997 |
| EM | East Midlands Trains | 9 December 2007 to date |
| EP | European Passenger Services | 29 September 1996 to 31 May 1997 |
| EP | Eurostar (UK) | 1 June 1997 to 23 September 2000 |
| ES | Eurostar International | 12 December 2010 to date (but not included in timetable) |
| ES | Eurostar (UK) | 24 September 2000 to 11 December 2010 (but not included in timetable after 9 December 2006) |
| FC | First Capital Connect | 11 June 2006 to 13 December 2014 |
| GC | Grand Central | 10 December 2006 to date |
| GE | First Great Eastern | 30 May 1999 to 22 May 2004 |
| GE | Great Eastern Railway | 29 September 1996 to 29 May 1999 |
| GL | First Great Western Link | 12 December 2004 to 10 June 2006 |
| GL | Heathrow Connect | 12 December 2004 to 10 December 2005 |
| GN | Great Northern | 14 December 2014 to date |
| GR | East Coast | 13 December 2009 to 16 May 2015 |
| GR | GNER | 2 June 2002 to 8 December 2007 |
| GR | Great North Eastern Railway | 1 June 1997 to 1 June 2002 |
| GR | LNER | 9 December 2018 to date |
| GR | National Express East Coast/NXEC | 9 December 2007 to 12 December 2009 |
| GR | Virgin Trains East Coast | 17 May 2015 to 8 December 2018 |
| GW | First Great Western | 30 May 1999 to 10 December 2016 |
| GW | Great Western Railway | 11 December 2016 to date (table column headings only to 20 May 2017) |
| GW | Great Western Trains | 29 September 1996 to 29 May 1999 |
| GWR | Great Western Railway | 11 December 2016 to 20 May 2017 (erroneous code used in commercial information pages only) |
| GX | Gatwick Express | 29 September 1996 to 13 December 2008; 17 May 2015 to date |
| HC | Heathrow Connect | 11 December 2005 to date |
| HT | First Hull Trains | 14 December 2008 to 16 May 2015 |
| HT | Hull Trains | 24 September 2000 to 13 December 2008; 17 May 2015 to date |
| HX | Heathrow Express | 24 May 1998 to date |
| IL | Island Line | 29 September 1996 to date |
| LE | Abellio Greater Anglia | 18 May 2014 to 10 December 2016 |
| LE | Greater Anglia | 14 May 2012 to 17 May 2014; 11 December 2016 to date |
| LE | National Express East Anglia/NXEA | 18 May 2008 to 13 May 2012 |
| LE | 'one' | 23 May 2004 to 17 May 2008 |
| LM | London Midland | 9 December 2007 to 9 December 2017 |
| LM | West Midlands Trains | 10 December 2017 to date |
| LN | Great North Western Railway | (code not yet used in GBTT/eNRT) |
| LN | wmtrains (London Northwestern Railway) | (code not yet used in GBTT/eNRT, LM used for all West Midlands Trains services)) |
| LO | London Overground/Transport for London | 9 December 2007 to date |
| LR | Network Rail [On Track Plant] | (online system code only) |
| LS | LTS Rail | 29 September 1996 to 23 September 2000 |
| LS | Locomotive Services (TOC) | (online system code only) |
| LT | London Transport [London Underground] | (code not yet used in GBTT/eNRT) |
| ME | Merseyrail | 28 September 2003 to date |
| ME | Merseyrail Electrics | 29 September 1996 to 29 September 2001 |
| ML | Midland Mainline | 29 September 1996 to 8 December 2007 |
| NL | North London Railways | 29 September 1996 to 23 May 1998 |
| NR | Network Rail | 18 May 2003 to date |
| NS | Network SouthCentral | 29 September 1996 to 31 May 1997 |
| NS | Northern Spirit | 27 September 1998 to 29 September 2001 |
| NT | Northern | 12 December 2004 to 14 May 2016 |
| NT | Northern Rail | 15 May 2016 to date |
| NW | First North Western | 30 May 1999 to 11 December 2004 |
| NW | North Western Trains | 1 June 1997 to 29 May 1999 |
| NW | North West Regional Railways | 29 September 1996 to 31 May 1997 |
| NY | North Yorkshire Moors Railway | 11 June 2006 to date |
| RE | Regional Railways North East | 29 September 1996 to 26 September 1998 |
| RT | Railtrack | 29 September 1996 to 17 May 2003 |
| SC | Connex South Central | 1 June 1997 to 26 September 1998 |
| SC | South Central | 2 June 2002 to 22 May 2004 |
| SE | Connex South Eastern | 1 June 1997 to 26 September 1998 |
| SE | The South Eastern Train Co | 29 September 1996 to 31 May 1997 |
| SE | South Eastern Trains | 23 May 2004 to 10 June 2006 |
| SE | Southeastern | 11 June 2006 to date |
| SJ | Stagecoach Supertram | (code not yet used in GBTT/eNRT) |
| SN | South Central | 30 September 2001 to 1 June 2002 |
| SN | Southern | 23 May 2004 to date |
| SP | Swanage Railway | (code not yet used in GBTT/eNRT) |
| SR | First ScotRail | 12 December 2004 to 16 May 2009 |
| SR | ScotRail | 29 September 1996 to 11 December 2004; 17 May 2009 to date |
| SS | Silverlink Train Services | 24 May 1998 to 8 December 2007 |
| SW | South Western Railway | 10 December 2017 to date |
| SW | South West Trains | 29 September 1996 to 9 December 2017 |
| SX | Stansted Express | 21 May 2017 to date |
| TL | Govia Thameslink Railway (Thameslink branded services) | 14 December 2014 to date |
| TL | Thameslink Rail | 29 September 1996 to 10 June 2006 |
| TP | First TransPennine Express | 23 May 2004 to 14 May 2016 |
| TP | TransPennine Express | 15 May 2016 to date |
| TS | Vintage Trains | (code not yet used in GBTT/eNRT) |
| TT | First Great Western Link | 23 May 2004 to 11 December 2004 |
| TT | Thames Trains | 29 September 1996 to 22 May 2004 |
| TW | [Tyne & Wear] Metro | (code not yet used in GBTT/eNRT) |
| VL | Cardiff Railway Co | 24 May 1998 to 25 September 1999 |
| VL | Valley Lines | 26 September 1999 to 29 September 2001 |
| VT | Virgin Trains [West Coast and CrossCountry] | 28 September 1997 to date (for West Coast) 28 September 1997 to 8 December 2007 (for CrossCountry) |
| WB | Wales & Borders Trains | 30 September 2001 to 22 May 2004 |
| WC | InterCity West Coast | 29 September 1996 to 31 May 1997 |
| WC | Virgin West Coast | 1 June 1997 to 27 September 1997 |
| WE | Wessex Trains | 30 September 2001 to 10 June 2006 |
| WM | wmtrains (West Midlands Railway) | (code not yet used in GBTT/eNRT) |
| WN | WAGN Railway | 28 May 2000 to 27 September 2003 |
| WN | Wagn Railway | 28 September 2003 to 11 June 2005 |
| WN | Wagn | 12 June 2005 to 10 June 2006 |
| WN | West Anglia Great Northern | 29 September 1996 to 27 May 2000 |
| WR | West Coast Railways | 1 June 1997 to date |
| WS | Wrexham Shropshire & Marylebone Railway | 9 December 2007 to 21 May 2011 |
| WW | South Wales & West | 29 September 1996 to 23 May 1998 |
| WW | Wales & West | 24 May 1998 to 29 September 2001 |
| XC | CrossCountry | 29 September 1996 to 31 May 1997; 9 December 2007 to date |
| XC | Virgin CrossCountry | 1 June 1997 to 27 September 1997 |
| XM | Christmas Special | (spoof online systems code) |
| XP | Glasgow Prestwick Airport | (online system code only) |
| XR | TFL Rail/Crossrail | 17 May 2015 to date (latter name used from 10 December 2017 timetable but service still run under former) |
| XS | Stobart Rail | (online system code only) |
| ZZ | Freight and miscellaneous operators | (online system code only) |
Introduction | Rail franchise operators | TOC timetable codes | Light rail system operators | Railway operator service groups