There are several companies operating trains in the United Kingdom. These include the operators of passenger services, which are, rather confusingly, officially referred to as "train operating companies" or TOCs, as distinct from "freight operating companies".
Passenger operators in Great Britain
Passenger operator structure in Great Britain
Current passenger operators
The following operate the services that comprise the National Rail network in Great Britain.
There are also several heritage lines and light rail systems.
Defunct operating companies
A number of operating companies have ceased to exist for a number of reasons, including premature withdrawal of the franchise; the natural term of the franchise has expired; bankruptcy; or there has been a merger.
Future operators
Crossrail, a franchise to be let by TfL managing the cross London Maidenhead/Heathrow to Shenfield/Abbey Wood rail link. It will take over control of its first services from 2014 with the full franchise operating from 2018. Renaissance Trains, the owner of Wrexham & Shropshire, has proposed running services to several destinations under a number of brand names: Glasgow Trains has proposed to run services between Glasgow to Blackpool, Liverpool and Nottingham. Humber Coast & City Railway are planning to run services between Cleethorpes and Lincoln to Stratford, London via Peterborough and Cambridge. Alliance Rail Go! Cooperative will operate a service between Yeovil and Oxford, via Melksham.
Passenger operators in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland passenger trains are still government-owned, under the auspices of Translink. The following brands are used:
Northern Ireland Railways - (domestic services) Enterprise - (Belfast-Dublin service, jointly operated by Iarnród Éireann)
Railtour operators
Compass Tours
DPS Railtours
Stobart Pullman
Pathfinder Tours
Scottish Railway Preservation Society
Venice-Simplon Orient Express
Vintage Trains
Retro Railtours
Green Express Railtours
Kingfisher Railtours
In Northern Ireland
Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
Irish Traction Group
The Modern Railway Society of Ireland
Freight operators
Colas Rail
Direct Rail Services (incorporating Stobart Rail service) DB Schenker Rail (replaced English, Welsh and Scottish Railway) Freightliner GBRf Mendip Rail