Who owns Great Western Railway?
Great Western Railway is owned by FirstGroup (the United Kingdom, LSE: FGP).[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Evidence: FirstGroup plc Annual Report and Accounts 2026, 17 June 2026. Last checked .
Key facts
- Current owner
- FirstGroup plc reported
- Owner HQ
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, Aberdeen
- Origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Category
- Travel & transport › Railways
- Parent ticker
- LSE: FGP
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway is a train operator run by FirstGroup through First Greater Western Limited, under a Department for Transport contract. FirstGroup's 2026 annual report says that on 7 May 2026 the DfT gave notice that the contract expires on 13 December 2026, at which point GWR hands over to the DfT Operator.
Ownership timeline of Great Western Railway
- Current owner FirstGroup [1] reported
Where Great Western Railway sits in FirstGroup
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Open the full FirstGroup ownership tree →
See the full FirstGroup brand portfolio (5) →
Other brands owned by FirstGroup
FirstGroup controls 5 brands on Brandtree, 5 of them in travel & transport.
Also in travel & transport
Other brands in railways, and who owns them
The 91 brands in railways on Brandtree belong to 68 owners. The largest is DfT Operator, with 9; FirstGroup has 4.
| Brand | Owner | Owner based in |
|---|---|---|
| c2c | DfT Operator | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| Eurostar | SNCF | 🇫🇷 France |
| CPKC | CPKC | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| Linha 4 do Metrô de São Paulo | Motiva | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| Hellenic Train | FS Italiane | 🇮🇹 Italy |
| Transtar | FTAI Infrastructure | 🇺🇸 United States |
| KAI Commuter | KAI | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
| LTG Cargo | LTG Group | 🇱🇹 Lithuania |
About the owner: FirstGroup
FirstGroup is a publicly listed company headquartered in Aberdeen, United Kingdom. Brandtree records 5 brands under its control, and it is listed as LSE: FGP.
FirstGroup plc is a British passenger transport company whose registered office is at 395 King Street, Aberdeen, with a corporate office in Paddington, London. Its 2026 annual report splits it into First Bus and First Rail, and says First Rail runs two Department for Transport train operating companies, Great Western Railway and the West Coast Partnership that includes Avanti West Coast, plus the open access operators Hull Trains and Lumo. The report lists First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Limited as a 70 per cent holding.
🇬🇧 Great Western Railway and other British brands
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 543 brands that began in the United Kingdom. 282 of them (52%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country; Great Western Railway is not one of them.
- Air Partner — Wheels Up 🇺🇸
- Alphabet — BMW Group 🇩🇪
- Arriva UK Bus — Arriva 🇬🇧
- BA CityFlyer — IAG 🇬🇧
- Birmingham Airport — Birmingham Airport Holdings 🇬🇧
- Bristol Airport — Bristol Airport 🇬🇧
Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of Great Western Railway?
The parent company of Great Western Railway is FirstGroup, a publicly listed company headquartered in the United Kingdom.
Is Great Western Railway British?
Yes. Great Western Railway originated in the United Kingdom and its owner, FirstGroup, is also headquartered in the United Kingdom.
Is Great Western Railway still owned by FirstGroup?
Yes. As of 5 October 2026, Great Western Railway is still owned by FirstGroup. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] FirstGroup plc Annual Report and Accounts 2026 — FirstGroup plc, Annual report, published 17 June 2026; retrieved 5 October 2026.
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