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The main rail network is connected with that of continental Europe by the Channel Tunnel and High Speed 1, opened in 1994 and 2007 respectively. In 2019, there were 1.738 billion journeys on the National Rail network, [1] making the British network the fifth most used in the world (Great Britain ranks 23rd in world population). Unlike a number ...
Network Rail Ltd. was created with the express purpose of taking over Britain's railway infrastructure control; this was achieved via its purchase of Railtrack plc from Railtrack Group plc for £500 million; Railtrack plc was then renamed and reconstituted as Network Rail Infrastructure Limited. [33] The transaction was completed on 3 October 2002.
The company would spend its finances mostly on the railway network in accordance with plans laid out by the rail regulator. [45] [37] Three newly created rolling stock leasing companies (ROSCOs) (Angel Trains, Eversholt Rail Group and Porterbrook) were allocated all British Rail's passenger coaches, locomotives, and multiple units.
First railway line by country. Europe was the epicenter of rail transport and has today one of the densest networks (an average of 46 km (29 mi) for every 1,000 km 2 (390 sq mi) in the EU as of 2013). [9]
The railway track and infrastructure is owned and operated by Network Rail, which is regulated by the Office of Rail & Road (ORR). In Great Britain, passenger trains are run under either franchises from the Department for Transport , or on an open access basis; which means their operators have no contract with government.
This changed in 1986, when in a very different political climate, Foster Yeoman obtained the right to run its own trains onto the British Rail network if British Rail locomotive engineers were used. In 1997, the British Railways network was privatised as a single company Railtrack, which later became the non-profit company Network Rail ...
National Rail should not be confused with Network Rail. National Rail is a brand used to promote passenger railway services, and providing some harmonisation for passengers in ticketing, while Network Rail is the organisation which owns and manages most of the fixed assets of the railway network, including tracks, stations and signals. [1]
British Railways: From 1948 to 1994 the 'mainline' railway network was in the hands of the single nationalised operator, British Railways (later promoted as British Rail). Post-privatisation companies: From 1994, a number of privately owned companies have operated and maintained 'mainline' railway track and trains.