Our First Rail division head office, based in Paddington, London, has a number of specialist teams such as First Rail Consultancy, Engineering, Finance, Property, Operations, Procurement, IT, and Human Resources – all of which provide expertise and support to the rail division.
First Rail has more than 25 years of experience in the rail sector and has been one of the UK’s leading operators for a number of years.
We have two Department for Transport (DfT) train operating companies (TOCs), Great Western Railway (GWR) and West Coast Partnership (WCP), which includes Avanti West Coast, and two open access rail operations, Hull Trains and Lumo, with three routes in operation (two on the East Coast Main Line and a new Stirling to London service on the West Coast Main Line).
We have also operated London Trams and the London Cable Car for a number of years on behalf of TfL and, in 2025, we were awarded the contract to operate the London Overground from May 2026.
Our Rail Services businesses include First Customer Contact, Mistral Data and First Rail Consultancy which offer a variety of solutions for the rail industry, bringing experience, expertise and benefits to the sector.
Our head office is home to specialist teams that provide expert support across the Engineering, Finance, Property, Operations, Procurement, IT, and Human Resources functions of the First Rail division.
We keep our customers at the heart of everything we do
Always front of mind, safety is our way of life
We trust each other to deliver and work to help one another succeed
Every decision matters, we do the right thing to achieve our goals
We want to be the best, continually seeking a better way to do things
c.320
Fleet of trains operated by First Rail
205
Of this fleet are bi-mode (electric and diesel) or electric trains
c.365,000
Passenger journeys a day
c.12,440
Employees across our Rail Division
Customer & Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Lumo
Talent Acquisition Manager, First Customer Contact (FCC)
Customer Services and Retail Training Manager, Great Western Railway (GWR)
Resources Operations Controller, Avanti West Coast (AWC)
Driver Manager, Avanti West Coast (AWC)
Talent Development Advisor, First Customer Contact (FCC)
Customer Services Training Manager, Great Western Railway (GWR)
