The table below provides a list of the current franchise
operators in England and Wales, their franchisees as well as the
start and end dates of current franchise agreements.
| Franchise operator
| Franchisee |
Franchise start |
Franchise end |
| Arriva Trains Wales |
Arriva Trains Ltd. | December 2003
| October 2018 |
| C2c Rail Limited | National Express Group plc.
| May 1996 | May 2011
|
| Central Trains Limited
| National Express Group plc.
| March 1997
| November 2007
Central Services are to be split up and merged into three new franchises in November 2007[232]
|
| Chiltern | M40 Trains Ltd.
| March 2002 (with a shrink-back provision if future enhancements are not met. At present the minimum franchise term is confirmed at 12 years)
| December 2021 |
| Crosscountry | Virgin Rail Group Ltd. (49% share owned by Stagecoach Group plc)
| January 1997 | November 2007
To absorb parts of the current Central Trains franchise when re-franchised
|
| First Greater Western |
Great Western Holdings Ltd. (First Group plc.)
| April 2006 | April 2016
|
| Gatwick Express | National Express Group plc.
| April 1996 | April 2011
|
| GNER | Great North Eastern Rail Ltd.
| May 2005 | May 2012 (with an automatic further 3 years if targets are met)
|
| Island Line
| Stagecoach Group plc.
| February 2004
| February 2007
Franchise merged with South Western from February 2007
|
| Midland Mainline | National Express Group plc.
| April 1996 | April 2008 (November 2007)
To be re-named the East Midlands franchise and absorb parts of the current Central Trains franchise when from November 2007
|
| Northern | Northern rail Ltd.
| December 2004 | September 2011
|
| Greater Anglia | ONE (National Express Group plc.)
| April 2004 | April 2014
|
| Silverlink County | National Express Group plc.
| February 1997 | October 2006 (November 2007)
To be re-named the West Midlands franchise and absorb parts of the current Central Trains franchise when re-franchised in November 2007
|
| South Eastern Trains |
Govia (Go-ahead and Keolis SA)
| April 2006 |
|
| South Western | Stagecoach Group plc.
| February 2004
Renewed:
February 2007
| February 2007
February 2017
|
| Southern | Govia Ltd.
| May 2003 | December 2009
|
| Thameslink-Great Northern
| Great Western Holdings Ltd. (First Group plc.)
| April 2006 | April 2015
|
| Trans Pennine Express |
First/Keolis TransPennine Holdings Ltd.
| February 2004 | 1 February 2012 (with a possible five years extension of not more than 65 reporting periods)
|
| Virgin West Coast | Virgin Trains (49% share owned by Stagecoach Group plc)
| 1997 | 2012
|
