Open access operator
In rail transport, an open-access operator is an operator that takes full commercial risk, running on infrastructure owned by a third party and buying paths on a chosen route and, in countries where rail services run under franchises, are not subject to franchising.[1]
Passenger open-access operators by country
Austria
In development
- Silverstar Railways[2]
Czech Republic
Belgium
France
In development
Former operators
Germany
Former operators
- Hamburg-Köln-Express taken over by Flixtrain
- Locomore Stuttgart-Berlin route taken over by Leo Express
Hungary
Italy
Netherlands
- European Sleeper[3]
- Arriva night services[8]
In development
Poland
In development
Slovakia
- RegioJet (all services except those on Bratislava — Komárno mainline, which are franchised)
Slovenia
- Adria transport
Spain
Sweden
Former operators
United Kingdom
In development
Former operators
- Wrexham & Shropshire (ceased trading January 2011)
Former proposals
- Alliance Rail Holdings (company dissolved) [18]
- First Harrogate Trains
- Grand Union (purchased by FirstGroup)
- Glasgow Trains
- Platinum Trains
Notes
- ^ Most services run open-access with the exception of Stockholm - Duved, Stockholm - Hamburg and services run by subsidiaries.
References
- ^ Abrams, Martin (July 2015). "Passenger's Guide to Franchising" (PDF). Better Transport. p. 4. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ "[passenger] A new star is born: Silverstar Railways plans domestic and international train services". Railcolor News. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
- ^ a b c "Nachttrein Berlijn - Boek een slaaptrein bij European Sleeper". European Sleeper (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 May 2023.
- ^ Preston, Robert (13 June 2023). "Renfe's French subsidiary ready for business". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
- ^ "Alstom receives an order from Proxima for 12 Avelia Horizon very high-speed trains, including 15 years of maintenance". Alstom. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- ^ "About". www.kevin-rail.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
- ^ "WESTbahn". westbahn.at. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "Arriva launches national night services in the Netherlands". railjournal.com. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
- ^ Vosman, Quintus (7 December 2023). "GoVolta to run day trains from Amsterdam to Paris, Berlin and Basel". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ "HEURO". www.heurotrain.com. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ Geerts, Esther (12 June 2023). "Arriva and Qbuzz request access for trains between the Netherlands and Paris". RailTech.com. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ Wintle, Thomas (15 November 2024). "Poland: FlixTrain gets permission to run Berlin-Warsaw route". RailTech.com. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ "MTR launches open access inter-city service". Railway Gazette International. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
- ^ "SJ-koncernen". SJ (in Swedish). Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ "FlixTrain starts ticket sale in Sweden | RailTech.com". RailTech.com | Online News for the Railway Industry. 14 April 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
- ^ "Flixtrain lämnar Sverige – Järnvägar.nu". Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ "Eurostar rival Evolyn is set to hit the tracks by 2025". euronews. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ "ALLIANCE RAIL HOLDINGS LTD". data.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2023.