Public register of rail passenger contracts
Contracts and franchise agreements for passenger train services in England and details of how to request contract information.
Applies to England
Rail passenger contracts
National Rail Contracts are legally binding contracts between the Secretary of State for Transport and train operating companies.
Rail contracts and ancillary legal agreements
- Chiltern 2002 rail contract
- Cross Country 2016 rail contract
- East Anglia 2016 rail contract
- East Midlands 2019 rail contract
- Great Western 2020 rail contract
- London North Eastern Railway 2020 rail services contract
- Northern 2020 rail services contract
- South Eastern 2014 rail contract
- First MTR South Western Trains Limited 2021 rail contract
- First TransPennine Express Limited 2021 rail contract
- Thameslink Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) 2014 rail contract
- Trenitalia c2c Limited 2021 rail contract
- West Coast Partnership 2019 rail contract
- West Midlands 2017 rail contract
- XC Trains Limited 2020 rail contract
Rail passenger contract publication scheme
This publication scheme specifies the categories of rail contract information published and explains how to get that information. It expands on the Department for Transport (DfT) publication scheme.
Rail contracts are published as required by Section 19 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Classes of information we do not publish
Rail contracts are redacted to remove commercial, personal and security information.
We do not publish:
- information legally protected from disclosure
- information exempt under the Freedom of Information Act
- draft information
- information that is no longer readily available
Classes of information we publish
We publish:
- National Rail Contracts – updates published annually
- National Rail Contract Business Plan Commitments (BPCs) – updates published annually
- National Rail Contract Business Plans – published in response to Freedom of Information requests
- Train Service Requirement (TSR) – updates published annually
- Contravention Notices – published on an ad hoc basis subject to legal advice
The rail contracts published on the public register may not be the most current documents held by DfT.
Publishing schedule
National Rail Contracts
Published annually in May of each year. Includes significant updates to the rail contract, BPCs and TSR. Applies to:
- East Anglia Railway
- Essex Thameside Railway
- South Western Railway
- TransPennine Express Railway
- West Midlands Railway
Services Contracts (Public Sector Train Operators)
Published annually in September of each year. Includes significant updates to the rail contract and TSR. Applies to:
- London North Eastern Railway
- Northern Railway
Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements
Published annually in December of each year. Includes significant updates to the rail contract and TSR. Applies to:
- Chiltern Railway
- Cross Country Railway
- East Midlands Railway
- Great Western Railway
- South Eastern Railway
- West Coast Partnership Railway
How to request information about rail passenger contracts
You can make a Freedom of Information request for rail contract information.
Read how to make an FOI request.
Other rail passenger contracts and regulatory documents
- DFT OLR Holdings Limited (DOHL) publication scheme
- DfT payments to passenger rail operators under emergency agreements
- High Speed 1 (HS1) regulatory documents
- London North Eastern Railway (LNER) publication scheme
- Office of Rail and Road (ORR) public register
- Rail passenger contracts and franchising
- Transport for Scotland public register
- Wales and Borders rail franchise 2018: devolution agreements
Contact us
Contract Changes Team
Passenger Services
Department for Transport
Great Minster House
33 Horseferry Road
London SW1P 4DR
Email: rail.publicregister@dft.gov.uk
Last updated 7 March 2022 + show all updates
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XC Trains Limited 2020 rail contract published.
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Trenitalia c2c Limited 2021: rail contract added.
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'First TransPennine Express Limited 2021 rail contract' published.
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First published.