Passenger operators: 2024 and 2025 competing track access applications

All documents related to competing applications received from passenger operators. 

We make decisions on applications from passenger train operators who want to access Network Rail’s infrastructure and the related track access agreements between operators and Network Rail.

The competing and complex applications listed below relate to the December 2024, May 2025 and December 2025 timetable changes. 

Table showing latest information and the associated passenger applications to which it applies:

Links to informationApplies to (trading names and related operator agreements):

Network Rail general representations in relation to the ECML dated 14 March 2025 (published 20 March 2025)

Alliance:
Alliance Rail Limited S17
CrossCountry:
XC Trains Limited 38th SA 
East Midlands Railway:
Transport UK East Midlands Limited 19th, 20th and 21st SAs 
GTR:
Govia Thameslink Railway Limited 62nd and 63rd SAs
Grand Central: 
Grand Central Railway Company Limited 28th SA 
Hull Trains: 
Hull Trains Company Limited 27th and 32nd (was 29th) SAs 
LNER:
London North Eastern Railway Limited 34th, 35th, 36th, 37th, 41st and 38th SAs 
Lumo: 
East Coast Trains Limited 11th and 12th SAs 
Northern:
Northern Trains Limited 59th and 60th SAs
ScotRail:
ScotRail Trains Limited 50th and 51st SAs 
TPE:
 TransPennine Express Limited 58th, 62nd, 63rd, 64th and 65th SAs 

Train operators responses to Network Rail (published 14 March 2025):

Network Rail letter on WCML South applications dated 7 February 2025

Caledonian Sleeper: 
Caledonian Sleeper Limited S22A 9th SA
Lumo: 
East Coast Trains Limited S17
Avanti: 
First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Limited S22A 3rd, 14th, 17th and 18th SAs
Virgin Trains: 
Virgin Management Limited S17
West Midlands Railway: 
West Midlands Trains Limited S22A 32nd SA
Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway:
The Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway Company Limited S17
DfT letter dated 4 February 2025

 		Alliance Rail: 
Alliance Rail Limited S17
Lumo: 
East Coast Trains Limited S17
East Coast Trains Limited S22A 12th and 11th SAs
Grand Central: 
Grand Central Railway Company Limited S22A 28th SA
Hull Trains: 
Hull Trains Company Limited S22A 29th and 27th SAs
Virgin trains: 
Virgin Management Limited S17
CrossCountry:
XC Trains Limited S22A 38th SA

List of passenger operators and links to core documents:

Key to contracts:

  • Section 17: new disputed contracts
  • Section 22A: disputed amendments to existing contracts

Alliance Rail Limited

Section 17

Caledonian Sleeper Limited

Section 22A

9th supplemental agreement

East Coast Trains Limited

Section 17

Section 22A

17th supplemental agreement

(the 16th is now the 17th)

16th supplemental agreement

(the 15th is now the 16th)

First Greater Western Limited

Section 22A

202nd supplemental agreement

201st supplemental agreement

First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Limited

Section 22A

18th supplemental agreement

17th supplemental agreement

14th supplemental agreement (now withdrawn)

11th supplemental agreement

3rd supplemental agreement

Govia Thameslink Railway Limited

Section 22A

63rd supplemental agreement

62nd supplemental agreement

Grand Central Railway Company Limited

Section 22A

28th supplemental agreement

24th supplemental agreement

Hull Trains Company Limited

Section 22A

32nd supplemental agreement

28th supplemental agreement

27th supplemental agreement

London North Eastern Railway Limited

Section 22A

38th supplemental agreement

37th supplemental agreement

36th supplemental agreement

35th supplemental agreement

34th supplemental agreement

Northern Trains Limited

Section 22A

60th supplemental agreement

59th supplemental agreement (now withdrawn)

57th supplemental agreement

ScotRail Trains Limited

Section 22A

51st supplemental agreement

50th supplemental agreement

49th supplemental agreement (now withdrawn)

South Yorkshire Future Trams Limited

Section 22A

11th supplemental agreement

TransPennine Express Limited

Section 22A

65th supplemental agreement

64th supplemental agreement

63th supplemental agreement

62nd supplemental agreement

58th supplemental agreement

Transport for Wales Rail Limited

Section 22A

32nd supplemental agreement

31st supplemental agreement

28th supplemental agreement

Transport UK East Midlands Limited

Section 22A

21st supplemental agreement

20th supplemental agreement

19th supplemental agreement

Virgin Management Limited

Section 17

West Midlands Trains Limited

Section 22A

32nd supplemental agreement

31st supplemental agreement (now withdrawn)

30th supplemental agreement (now withdrawn)

28th supplemental agreement

22nd supplemental agreement

WSMR Limited

Section 17

XC Trains Limited

Section 17