The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) is an unincorporated association owned by its members. It was set up by the train operators formed during privatisation of the railways under the Railways Act 1993.
As well as being the official voice of the passenger rail industry, it also provides its members with a range of services that enable them to comply with conditions laid on them in their franchise agreements and operating licences. These include:
ATOC's principal activities are:
Its work is administered through four companies: ATOC Limited, through which it provides most of its services, employs the staff and acts as agent for many of the schemes; Rail Settlement Plan Limited, which manages the revenue; Rail Staff Travel Limited, managing staff travel, and National Rail Enquiries, the public information provider.
Each full (not associates) member of the Association nominates a representative, usually its Managing Director, to attend Council meetings. The Council sets the annual budget and meets four times a year to discuss general issues falling within the remit of the organisation.
The ATOC Council elects a Board, Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Treasurer to manage the Association's business.
The Association has formed schemes to manage particular items of business (such as through ticketing) where the train operating companies are required to work together. Each scheme is governed by its own independent council, which elect management groups to handle the day-to-day operations of the scheme. Association of Train Operating Companies.
Headed by the Director General, the Executive is comprised of permanent staff who manage, on behalf of Scheme bodies, all the activities of the Association.
| FULL MEMBERS | |
|---|---|
| FRANCHISED OPERATORS | OWNERS |
| Arriva Trains Wales/Trenau Arriva Cymru | ARRIVA plc |
| c2c Rail Limited | National Express Group |
| Central Trains Limited | National Express Group |
| Gatwick Express Limited | National Express Group |
| Midland Main Line Limited | National Express Group |
| London Eastern Railway Limited | National Express Group |
| Silverlink Train Services Limited | National Express Group |
| First Capital Connect Limited | FirstGroup Plc |
| First Great Western Limited | FirstGroup Plc |
| First ScotRail Limited | FirstGroup Plc |
| First/Keolis TransPernnine Limited | FirstGroup Plc / Keolis |
| Merseyrail Electrics 2002 Limited | Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) and Serco Rail |
| Northern Rail Limited | Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) and Serco Rail |
| Stagecoach South Western Trains Limited | Stagecoach Holdings Plc |
| West Coast Trains Limited | Virgin Rail Group Ltd. |
| CrossCountry Trains Limited | Virgin Rail Group Ltd. |
| London and South Eastern Railway Limited | Govia Ltd. |
| New Southern Railway Limited | Govia Ltd. |
| The Chiltern Railway Company Limited | M40 Trains Ltd. |
| Great North Eastern Railway Limited | GNER Holdings. (Sea Containers) |
| NON-FRANCHISED OPERATORS | OWNERS |
| Eurostar (UK) Limited | London & Continental Railways Ltd. |
| Rail express systems Limited | English Welsh & Scottish Railway |
| ASSOCIATE MEMBERS | |
| OPERATORS | |
| Hull Trains Company Ltd | |
| Grand Central Limited | |
| Heathrow Express | |
| NON- OPERATORS | |
| DSB | |
| EURAILCO | |
| Keolis (UK) Limited | |
| MTR Corporation Limited | |
For more information on an individual train operating company please visit the Train Operating Company page on the National Rail website.