Regional Railways

Regional Railways was one of the three passenger sectors of British Rail. It was created in 1982. It finished operation in 1996, two years after privatisation. The sector was originally called Provincial.

Regional Railways

Overview
Franchise(s)	Not subject to franchising (1982 – 1997)
Main region(s)	East Anglia, North West, North East, Wales
Other region(s)	East Midlands, West Midlands, Scotland, Merseyside
Parent company	British Rail

The split-up for privatisation

Before privatisation, the Regional Railways sector was split into several different franchises ready for privatisation.

• Anglia Railways, later National Express East Anglia
• Central Trains and Central Citylink, later London Midland, East Midlands Trains and CrossCountry
• Merseyrail Electrics, later Merseyrail
• North West Regional Railways, later North Western Trains, later First North Western
  Now part of Northern Rail
• Regional Railways Northeast, later Northern Spirit, later Arriva Trains Northern
  Split into Northern Rail and **TransPennine Express
• ScotRail, later First ScotRail
• Wales and West
  Later split into
  • Wales and Borders, now part of Transport for Wales
  • Wessex Trains, now part of First Great Western

A Central Trains Class 156 DMU at Coventry in 2000. It is still in the old BR Regional Railways exspress livery, but has a Central Trains name tag on it.

A First North Western Class 156 at Romiley Junction station, near Manchester in the year 2001. It is in its former Regional Railways North West livery.