Guidance

Public register of rail passenger contracts

Contract documents for passenger railway services in England and details of how to request contract information.

From:
Department for Transport
Published
28 October 2021
Last updated
7 May 2024 — See all updates

Applies to England

Rail passenger contracts

Rail passenger contracts are legally binding contracts between the Secretary of State for Transport and train operating companies.

The rail contracts published on the public register may not be the most current documents held by the Department for Transport (DfT).

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 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Classes of information we do not publish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We do not publish: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
  • National Rail Contract Business Plans – the majority will be published on passenger rail train operator websites in a summary format

Classes of information we publish

We publish:

  • National Rail Contracts – updates published annually if legally or commercially significant
  • Rail Services Contracts – updates published annually if legally or commercially significant
  • Business Plan Commitments (BPCs) – updates published annually if legally or commercially significant

  • Train Service Requirement (TSR) – updates published annually

  • Contravention Notices or Breach Notices – published on an ad hoc basis subject to legal advice

Publishing schedule

National Rail Contracts

Published annually. Includes significant updates to the rail contract, BPCs and TSR. Applies to:

  • East Anglia Railway
  • Essex Thameside Railway
  • South Western Railway
  • West Midlands Railway
  • East Midlands Railway
  • Chiltern Railway
  • Great Western Railway
  • TSGN Railway
  • West Coast Partnership
  • Cross Country Railway

Services Contracts (Public Sector Train Operators)

Published annually. Includes significant updates to the rail contract and TSR. Applies to:

  • London North Eastern Railway
  • Northern Railway
  • South Eastern Railway
  • TransPennine 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.

We are unable to make some of our contractual and legal documents compliant due to their complexity. See our accessible documents policy.

Other rail passenger contracts and regulatory documents

Contact us

You can write to us at:

Contract Changes Team
Passenger Services
Department for Transport
Great Minster House
33 Horseferry Road
London SW1P 4DR

Alternatively, email railpublicregister@dft.gov.uk.

Updates to this page

Published 28 October 2021
Last updated 7 May 2024 + show all updates

  1. TransPennine Express Railways 2023 OLR rail services contract added.

  2. Abellio East Midlands Limited 2022 rail contract added.

  3. First Greater Western 2022 and Northern Railway 2022 OLR rail contracts added.

  4. Northern Railway 2022 OLR rail contract added.

  5. Added Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern 2022 rail contract.

  6. Abellio East Midlands Limited 2019 rail contract added.

  7. Chiltern Railway Company Limited 2021 rail contract added.

  8. Added South Eastern Railways 2021 OLR rail contract.

  9. Added West Midlands Trains Limited 2021 rail contract.

  10. Added Abellio East Anglia Limited 2021 rail contract.

  11. XC Trains Limited 2020 rail contract published.

  12. Trenitalia c2c Limited 2021: rail contract added.

  13. 'First TransPennine Express Limited 2021 rail contract' published.

  14. First published.

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