RAIL CHRONOLOGY: TRAIN OPERATING COMPANY (TOC) CODES
used in Great Britain Passenger Railway / National Rail Timetables 1996 - 2007
For codes in use from December 2007 onwards click here. This page last updated: 10 June 2009
Explanatory notes For codes in use from December 2007 onwards click here. Richard Maund An earlier version of this paper also appeared in Railway and Canal Historical Society Railway Chronology Group Co-ordinating
Newsletter no. 40, October 2004. To return to home page
or to contact address.
Code
Operator
Transferred to private sector
Timetable start date
Owner / controlling interest at 10 November 2007
29.9.96
1.6.97
28.9.97
24.5.98
27.9.98
30.5.99
26.9.99
28.5.00
24.9.00
20.5.01
30.9.01
2.6.02
29.9.02
18.5.03
28.9.03
23.5.04
12.12.04
12.6.05
11.12.05
11.6.06
10.12.06
20.5.07
AM
ARRIVA Trains Mersyside
*10
*
*
*6
AN
ARRIVA Trains Northern
*10
*
*
*
*
*51
AR
Anglia Rlys Train Services
5.1.97
*42
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*17
AW
ARRIVA Trains Wales
*14
*
*
*
*
*
*
Arriva
CA
Cardiff Rly Co
13.10.96
*29
*
*29
CC
c2c
*7,8
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
NEx
CH
Chiltern Rly Co
21.7.96
*39
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Laing Rail (M40)
CT
Central Trains
2.3.97
*46
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* 60
NEx
CX
Connex
*19
*
*
*
*
*11
*
*
*
*16
CX
Connex South Eastern
*16
EC
InterCity East Coast
28.4.96
*20
EP
European Passenger Services
1.4.96
*21
EP
Eurostar (UK)
*21
*
*
*
*
*
*21
ES
Eurostar (UK)
*21
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* 21
21
21
L&C
FC
First Capital Connect
*55
*
*
First
GC
Grand Central
*58
*
GE
Great Eastern Rly
5.1.97
*49
*
*
*
*22
GE
First Great Eastern
*22
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*17
GL
First Great Western Link
*18
*
*57
GR
Great North Eastern Rly
*20
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*20
GR
GNER
*20
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* 61
SeaCo
GW
Great Western Trains Co
4.2.96
*36
*
*
*
*23
GW
First Great Westerm
*23
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
First
GX
Gatwick Express
28.4.96
*37
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
NEx
HC
Heathrow Connect
* 54
*
*
*
BAA/First
HT
Hull Trains
*9
*
*
*
*
*
* 64
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
First/Renaissance
HX
Heathrow Express
*24
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
BAA
IL
Island Line
13.10.96
*41
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* 59
*
Stagecoach
LE
"one"
*17
*
*
*
*
*
*
NEx
LS
LTS Rail
26.5.96
*38
*
*
*
*
*
*
*7,8
ME
Merseyrail Electrics
19.1.97
*44
*
*
*
*
*
*5
*
*
*10
ME
Merseyrail
*6
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Serco/Ned
ML
Midland Mainline
28.4.96
*37
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* 62
NEx
NL
North London Rlys
2.3.97
*3
*
*3
NS
Network SouthCentral
26.5.96
*25
NS
NorthernSpirit
*4
*
*5
*
*
*10
NT
Northern
*51
*
*
*
*
*
Serco/Ned
NW
North West Regional Rlys
2.3.97
*26
NW
North Western Trains
*26
*
*
*27
NW
First North Western
*27
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*51
NY
North Yorkshire Moors Rly
*56
*
*
NYMR
RE
Regional Rlys North East
2.3.97
*4
*
*
*4
SC
Connex South Central
*25
*
*19
SC
South Central
*11
*
*
*11
SE
The South Eastern Train Co
13.10.96
*28
SE
Connex South Eastern
*28
*
*19
SE
South Eastern Trains
*16
*
*
* 52
SE
Southeastern
* 52
*
*
GoVia
SN
South Central
*11
SN
Southern
*11
*
*
*
*
*
*
GoVia
SR
ScotRail Rlys
31.3.97
*34
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*1
SR
First ScotRail
*1
*
*
*
*
*
First
SS
Silverlink Train Services
*3
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* 63
NEx
SW
South West Trains
4.2.96
*35
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* 59
*
Stagecoach
TL
Thameslink Rail
2.3.97
*45
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* 55
TP
Frist TransPennine Express
*15
*
*
*
*
*
*
First/Keolis
TT
Thames Trains
13.10.96
*40
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*18
TT
First Great Western Link
*18
VL
Cardiff Rly Co
*29
*
*29
VL
Valley Lines
*29
*8
*
*12
VT
Virgin Trains
*30
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Virgin/Stagecoach
WB
Wales & Borders Trains
*12
*
*
*
*14
WC
InterCity West Coast
9.3.97
*48
WC
Virgin West Coast
*48
WE
Wessex Trains
*13
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* 57
WN
West Anglia Great Northern Rly
5.1.97
*43
*
*
*
*
*
*31
WN
WAGN Rly
*8,31
*
*
*
*
*
*31
WN
Wagn Rly
*17
*
* 53
WN
Wagn
* 53
* 55
WR
West Coast Railways
*32
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
WW
South Wales & West Rly
13.10.96
*2
*
*2
WW
Wales & West
*2
*
*
*
*8
*
*12
XC
CrossCountry Trains
5.1.97
*47
XC
Virgin CrossCountry
*47
NR
Network Rail
*33
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
NR
RT
Railtrack
20.5.96
*50
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*33
The “Operator” name is the generally recognised trading name, which may not necessarily be the same as the name of the limited company operating the franchise.
This listing does not purport to be a comprehensive
record of individual services or routes transferred between franchises - merely those transfers which enabled the setting up of a new franchise name.
The final issue of the printed national public timetable was that dated 20 May 2007.
1 = transferred National Express to FirstGroup as First ScotRail 17.10.04
2 = transferred BR to Prism Rail 13.10.96 and renamed Wales & West Passenger Trains (WW) 29.9.97
3 = transferred BR to National Express 2.3.97 and renamed Silverlink Train Services (SS) 29.9.97
4 = transferred BR to MTL Trust Holdings 2.3.97 and renamed Northern Spirit (NS) 25.5.98.
5 = transferred MTL Trust Holdings to Arriva 18.2.00
6 = transferred Arriva to Serco-Ned Railways as Merseyrail (ME) 20.7.03
7 = LTS Rail (LS) renamed c2c (CC) 2.7.00.
8 = transferred Prism Rail to National Express 18.7.00
Railways; GB Railways' controlling interest subsequently acquired by First Group.
10 = Northern Spirit (NS) renamed Arriva Trains Northern (AN) and Merseyrail Electrics (ME) renamed Arriva Trains Merseyside (AM) 27.4.01
11 = South Central element of Connex (CX) transferred Connex to GoVia [GoAhead and Via-GTI, the latter became Keolis in 2001] as New Southern Railway Co 26.8.01, trading initially as South Central (SN), later (SC), trading name renamed to Southern (SN) 30.5.04
12 = Valley Lines (Cardiff Railway) (VL) and Wales & West (WW) renamed Wales & Borders Trains (WB) 14.10.01 (using the Cardiff Railway limited company)
13 = routes stripped out of Wales & West (WW) as Wessex Trains (WE) (using the Wales & West limited company): re-branding started 30.9.01
14 = transferred National Express to Arriva as Arriva Trains Wales (AW) 7.12.03
15 = routes stripped out of Arriva Trains Northern (AN) transferred to First/Keolis TransPennine as TransPennine Express (TP) 1.2.04
16 = Connex South Eastern element of Connex (CX) transferred Connex to South Eastern Trains (a company owned by the Strategic Rail Authority) 9.11.03
17 = Anglia (AR), First Great Eastern (GE) and the West Anglia segment of Wagn Railway (WN) transferred from GB Railways, FirstGroup and National Express, respectively,
to National Express as London Eastern (LE), trading as "one" (with the existing names - West Anglia, Great Eastern, West Anglix - as suffixes, at least initially) 1.4.04. Note: The Great Northern segment of Wagn Railway (WN) remained franchised to National Express but as a separate entity until merger with Thameslink 1.4.06
18 = transferred Go-Ahead to FirstGroup as First Great Western Link (TT) 1.4.04, later (GL)
19 = Connex South Central (SC) and Connex South Eastern (SE) under unified management as Connex (CX) -.9.98
20 = transferred BR to Great North Eastern Rly (Sea Containers) 28.4.96, later as GNER (GR)
21 = European Passenger Services (EP) transferred to London & Continental Railways and renamed Eurostar UK (EP) 1.4.96, later as (ES). Chose not to appear
in National Rail Timetable after the June 2006 edition
22 = Great Eastern (GE) renamed First Great Eastern (GE) autumn.98 (nominally 27.9.98)
23 = transferred Great Western Holdings to FirstGroup 6.3.98 and renamed First Great Western (GW) autumn.98 (nominally 27.9.98)
24 = Heathrow Express (BAA plc) (HX) commenced "open access" service 19.1.98 (as FastTrain), relaunched as HX 23.6.98
25 = transferred BR to Connex Rail as Connex South Central 26.5.96
26 = transferred BR to Great Western Holdings 2.3.97
27 = transferred Great Western Holdings to FirstGroup 6.3.98 and renamed First North Western (NW) autumn.98 (nominally 27.9.98)
28 = transferred BR to Connex Rail as Connex South Eastern 13.10.96
29 = transferred BR to Prism Rail 13.10.96. Later as (VL) and subsequently renamed Valley Lines (VL)
30 = Virgin West Coast (WC) [West Coast Trains Ltd] and Virgin Cross Country (XC) [Cross Country Trains Ltd] as subsidiaries of Virgin Trains (VT) [Virgin Rail Group Ltd];
Virgin Rail transferred to Virgin Group + Stagecoach 22.6.98.
Despite remaining two separate franchises, "West Coast" and "Cross Country" dropped as subsidiary brandings 12.6.05. CrossCountry franchise transferred to Arriva from 11.11.07 leaving only the
West Coast franchise with VT.
31 = West Anglia Great Northern (WA) [timetable abbreviation as WAGN Railway and later as Wagn Railway already in general and marketing usage]
32 = West Coast Railways commenced "open access" service 16.6.97
33 = Railtrack (in railway administration from 7.10.01) became Network Rail 3.2.03
34 = transferred BR to National Express 31.3.97
35 = transferred BR to Stagecoach 4.2.96
36 = transferred BR to Great Western Holdings 4.2.96
37 = transferred BR to National Express 28.4.96
38 = transferred BR to Prism Rail 26.5.96
39 = transferred BR to M40 Trains (controlled by John Laing, later Laing Rail) 21.7.96
40 = transferred BR to Victory Railway Holdings (controlled, and later wholly owned, by Go-Ahead) 13.10.96
41 = transferred BR to Stagecoach 13.10.96
42 = transferred BR to GB Railways 5.1.97
43 = transferred BR to Prism Rail 5.1.97
44 = transferred BR to MTL Trust Holdings 19.1.97
45 = transferred BR to GoVia [GoAhead and Via-GTI, the latter became Keolis in 2001] 2.3.97
46 = transferred BR to National Express 2.3.97
47 = transferred BR to Virgin Rail as Virgin Cross Country (XC) 5.1.97, under the integrated management organisation of Virgin Trains
48 = transferred BR to Virgin Rail as Virgin West Coast (WC) 9.3.97, under the integrated management organisation of Virgin Trains
49 = transferred BR to FirstGroup 5.1.97
50 = formed 1.4.94 (as BRB subsidiary); company floated 20.5.96
51 = transferred to Serco-NedRailways as Northern Rail (trading as Northern) (NT) 12.12.04
52 = transferred to GoVia [GoAhead and Keolis] as London & South Eastern Railway (trading as Southeastern) 1.4.06
53 = "Railway" dropped from trading name with June 2005 timetable
54 = new joint service by First (GL) and BAA (HX) started 12.6.05 (but trains shown under code GL in June 2005 timetable)
55 = Thameslink Rail and Wagn transferred to First Group as First Capital Connect 1.4.06
56 = Whitby Endeavour "open access" summer seasonal steam service between Glaisdale, Grosmont and Whitby
from 27.5.06 (for 2006 services were shown in NYMR's publicity but not in the national timetable (even though the NY code appeared) and were operated in conjuction with
West Coast Railway Co.).
57 = transferred to First Group and merged into First Great Western 1.4.06
58 = Grand Central (GC) to commence "open access" service late 2007. Was initially controlled by Fraser Eagle group.
59 = South West Trains and Island Line subsumed within South Western franchise from 4.2.07 (operated by Stagecoach
South Western Trains Ltd (Stagecoach Group plc)) but retained as separate brand names.
60 = services transferred to CrossCountry (Arriva), East Midlands Trains (stagecoach) or London Midland (GoVia) from 11.11.07.
61 = franchise transferred to National Express as National Express East Coast 9.12.07.
62 = services transferred to East Midlands Trains (Stagecoach) from 11.11.07.
63 = services transferred to London Midland (GoVia) or London Overground (MTR/Laing Rail) from 11.11.07.
64 = First Group obtained controlling interest -.8.03.