Who owns Network Rail?
Network Rail is owned by Network Rail Limited (the United Kingdom).[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Evidence: Network Rail Limited Annual Report and Accounts 2025, 21 July 2025. Last checked .
Key facts
- Current owner
- Network Rail Limited reported
- Owner HQ
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, London
- Origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Category
- Travel & transport › Railways
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About Network Rail
Network Rail is the owner and operator of most of the railway infrastructure of England, Scotland and Wales. Its 2025 annual report cites about 20,000 miles of track and 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts, and says it manages 20 of the country's largest stations while the train operating companies run over 2,500 others.
Ownership timeline of Network Rail
- Current owner Network Rail [1] reported
Where Network Rail sits in Network Rail
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Open the full Network Rail ownership tree →
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.
| Brand | Owner | Owner based in |
|---|---|---|
| c2c | DfT Operator | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| Avanti West Coast | FirstGroup | 🇬🇧 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 |
About the owner: Network Rail
Network Rail is a state-owned company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Brandtree records 1 brand under its control.
Network Rail Limited is a company limited by guarantee with no share capital, registered at Waterloo General Office, London, and described in its 2025 annual report as an arm's length body of the Department for Transport. The report says the group owns, operates and develops railway infrastructure in England, Scotland and Wales and manages 20 of the largest stations. Its wholly owned subsidiary Network Rail (High Speed) Limited holds the St Pancras concession and the High Speed Railway Services Agreement, and the group operates the network for High Speed 1.
Network Rail: full profile, brands and acquisition history →
🇬🇧 Network Rail 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; Network Rail is not one of them.
- Air Partner — Wheels Up 🇺🇸
- Alphabet — BMW Group 🇩🇪
- Arriva UK Bus — Arriva 🇬🇧
- Avanti West Coast — FirstGroup 🇬🇧
- BA CityFlyer — IAG 🇬🇧
- Birmingham Airport — Birmingham Airport Holdings 🇬🇧
Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of Network Rail?
The parent company of Network Rail is Network Rail Limited, a state-owned company headquartered in the United Kingdom.
Is Network Rail British?
Yes. Network Rail originated in the United Kingdom and its owner, Network Rail Limited, is also headquartered in the United Kingdom.
Is Network Rail still owned by Network Rail Limited?
Yes. As of 5 October 2026, Network Rail is still owned by Network Rail Limited. 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] Network Rail Limited Annual Report and Accounts 2025 — Network Rail Limited, Annual report, published 21 July 2025; retrieved 5 October 2026.
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