| Anglia Railways | GB Railways | 5 January 1997 | 31 March 2004 | Created from RR unit on privatisation. Awarded to GB Railways (5 January 1997). GB Railways acquired by FirstGroup (14 August 2003). Amalgamated with the Great Eastern franchise and part of the Greater Anglia franchise franchise to form the new Greater Anglia franchise (1 April 2004). |
| Central Trains | National Express | 2 March 1997 | 10 November 2007 | Created from RR unit on privatisation. Awarded to National Express (2 March 1997). 2-year extension pending recasting (1 April 2004). Further short term extension (1 April 2006). Parts transferred to new East Midlands franchise along with Midland Main Line services, and parts to new West Midlands franchise. Parts transferred to existing CrossCountry, being recast as 'New CrossCountry' (11 November 2007) |
| CrossCountry | Virgin Rail Group | 5 January 1997 | 10 November 2007 | Created from InterCity unit on privatisation. Won by Virgin Rail Group (5 January 1997). Stagecoach acquired 49% of VRG (October 1998). Renegotiated as a rolling year-on-year management contract (July 2002). Continued until expiry after failure to renegotiate franchise. |
| Gatwick Express | National Express | 28 April 1996 | 21 June 2008 | Created from InterCity unit on privatisation. Merged into the South Central franchise (being retained as a separate brand). |
| Great Eastern | FirstBus | 5 January 1997 | 31 March 2004 | Created from NSE unit on privatisation. Awarded to FirstBus (5 January 1997). Amalgamated with the Anglia franchise and the West Anglia part of the West Anglia Great Northern franchise to form the new Greater Anglia franchise (1 April 2004). |
| Great Western | Great Western Holdings | 4 February 1996 | 31 March 2006 | Created from InterCity unit on privatisation. Amalgamated with Thames Trains and the Wessex to form new Greater Western franchise |
| InterCity West Coast | Virgin Rail Group | 9 March 1997 | 8 December 2019 | Created at privatisation and won by Virgin Rail Group (9 March 1997). Stagecoach acquire 49% stake (October 1998). Renegotiated as a management contract (22 July 2002). Subsequently subject to various Direct Awards. Replaced by West Coast Partnership on 8 December 2019. |
| Island Line | Stagecoach | 13 October 1996 | 3 February 2007 | Created from NSE unit on privatisation. Awarded to Stagecoach Group (13 October 1996). Amalgamated with the South West Trains franchise to form the new South Western franchise (4 February 2007). |
| London, Tilbury & Southend | Prism Rail | 26 May 1996 | 6 November 2014 | Created from NSE unit on privatisation. Won by Prism Rail(26 May 1996). C2C sold to National Express (July 2000). Rebranded (July 2002). Two year extension (26 May 2011). 2 year direct award (26 May 2013). Extension option (September 2014). Awarded to NXET Trains Ltd and rebranded as Essex Thameside (10 November 2014). |
| Mersey Rail Electrics | MTL | 19 January 1997 | 20 July 2003 | Created from RR unit on privatisation. Won by MTL. Converted to Merseyrail concession managed by Merseytravel |
| Midland Main Line | National Express | 28 April 1996 | 10 November 2007 | Created from InterCity unit on privatisation. Awarded to National Express (28 April 1996). Amalgamated with the East Midlands part of the Central Trains franchise to form the new East Midlands franchise (11 November 2007). |
| Network SouthCentral | Connex | 14 October 1996 | 24 July 2015 | Created from NSE unit on privatisation. Won by Connex (14 October 1996). Franchise discontinued (24 July 2015), |
| North London Railways | National Express | 2 March 1997 | 10 November 2007 | Created from NSE unit on privatisation. Awarded to National Express (2 March 1997), rebranded Silverlink (26 September 1997). London metro services transferred to new London Overground concession, rest of franchise amalgamated with the West Midlands part of the Central Trains franchise to form the new West Midlands franchise (11 November 2007). |
| North West Regional Railways | Great Western Holdings | 2 March 1997 | 11 December 2004 | Created from RR unit on privatisation. Awarded to Great Western Holdings (2 March 1997). FirstGroup became sole owner of Great Western Holdings (March 1998). North Wales services transferred to the Wales & Borders franchise (28 September 2003). Express services transferred to the new TransPennine Express franchise (1 February 2004). Remaining services amalgamated with those of the Regional Railways North East franchise to form the new Northern Rail franchise (12 December 2004). |
| Regional Railways North East | MTL | 2 March 1997 | 11 December 2004 | Created from RR unit on privatisation. Won by MTL (2 March 1997). Express services were transferred to new TransPennine Express (1 February 2004). 12 : Remaining services transferred to new Northern Rail franchise (December 2004). |
| South Eastern | Connex | 13 October 1996 | 31 March 2006 | Created from NSE unit on privatisation. Awarded to Connex (13 October 1996). Passed to the publicly-owned South Eastern Trains (9 November 2003). Replaced by the new Integrated Kent franchise (1 April 2006). |
| South Wales & West Railway | Prism Rail | 13 October 1996 | 13 October 2001 | Created from NSE unit on privatisation. Split in two, with part of it going to new Wales & Borders franchise. Remainder forming new Wessex franchise |
| South West Trains | Stagecoach | 4 February 1996 | 3 February 2007 | Created from NSE unit on privatisation. Awarded to Stagecoach Group (4 February 1996). Amalgamated with the Island Line franchise to form the new South Western franchise (4 February 2007). |
| Thameslink | Govia | 2 March 1997 | 31 March 2006 | Created from NSE unit on privatisation. Awarded to Govia (2 March 1997). Amalgamated with the remainder of the West Anglia Great Northern franchise to form the new Thameslink Great Northern franchise (1 April 2006). |
| Thameslink Great Northern | FirstGroup | 1 April 2006 | 13 September 2014 | Incorporated into the new Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise, in anticipation of the merger of the South Central franchise. New franchise retaining both Southern and Gatwick Express as separate brands |
| Thames Trains | Go-Ahead Group | 13 October 1996 | 31 March 2006 | Created from NSE unit on privatisation. Awarded to Go-Ahead Group (13 October 1996). Upon being awarded to First Great Western Link, owned by FirstGroup (1 April 2004). Amalgamated with the Great Western and Wessex franchises to form the new Greater Western franchise (1 April 2006). |
| Valley Lines | Prism Rail | 13 October 1996 | 13 October 2001 | Created from RR unit on privatisation. Awarded to Prism Rail, trading as Valley Lines (13 October 1996). Prism Rail acquired by National Express (18 July 2000). Amalgamated with the Wales part of the South Wales & West franchise to form the new Wales & Borders franchise (14 October 2001). |
| Wessex | National Express | 14 October 2001 | 31 March 2006 | Formed from the West Country part of the South Wales & West franchise. Retained by National Express, now trading as Wessex Trains (14 October 2001). Amalgamated with the Great Western and Thames Trains franchises to form the new Greater Western franchise (1 April 2006). |
| West Anglia Great Northern | Prism Rail | 5 January 1997 | 31 March 2006 | Created from InterCity unit on privatisation. From 1 April 2004: Parts transferred to new Greater Anglia franchise. 1 April 2006: remainder transferred to new Thameslink Great Northern franchise |
