Privatisation
After the privatisation of British Rail, InterCity trains were divided up into several franchises. The Caledonian Sleeper service was transferred to ScotRail, now First ScotRail. Initial plans were for the train operating companies to co-operate to continue providing a consistent InterCity network, but disagreements meant this did not occur. Great Western Trains registered the term as a British trademark and applied it to its High Speed coaches, but the term fell into disuse before Great Western was bought by FirstGroup in 1998. Occasional services are run using 'Inter-City' branded coaches, usually where additional rolling stock has been hired, but the term is not in official use by train operators. However, it should be noted that the planned upgrade to many of Britain's former-InterCity lines has been termed "Intercity Express Programme".
| Divisions | Original Franchise | Currently |
|---|---|---|
| East Coast | GNER | Then passed to National Express East Coast, renationalised as East Coast in 2009 |
| West Coast | Virgin Trains | Incumbent until 8 December 2012. Successor unknown following government withdrawal of First West Coast contract in October 2012. |
| Midland | Midland Mainline | Then passed to East Midlands Trains |
| Great Western | Great Western Trains | Renamed First Great Western. Also operates Night Riviera from London to Penzance |
| Gatwick Express | Gatwick Express | Merged into Southern and now a sub-brand |
| CrossCountry | Virgin Cross Country | Then passed to CrossCountry |
| Great Eastern | Anglia Railways | Merged into National Express East Anglia, then passed onto Greater Anglia |
Read more about this topic: InterCity (British Rail)