This is an incomplete list of the world's railway operating companies listed alphabetically by continent and country. This list includes companies operating both now and in the past.
In some countries, the railway operating bodies are not companies, but are government departments or authorities.
Particularly in many European countries beginning in the late-1980s, with privatizations and the separation of the track ownership and management from running the trains, there are now many track-only companies and train-only companies.
Africa
Union of African Railways (UAR) Southern African Railway Association (SARA), which represents: CFB (Benguela railway, in Angola) Botswana Railways Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM) (Mozambique Railway) Malawi Railways TransNamib Swaziland Railway TAZARA (Tanzania/Zambia Railway Authority) Zambia Railways National Railways of Zimbabwe Tanzania Railways Corporation Central East African Railway in Malawi Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway Metrorail (South Africa) Transnet Freight Rail (South-Africa)
Algeria Algerian Railways (SNTF)
Angola Benguela Railway Moçâmedes Railway Luanda Railway Gunza-Gabala line
Benin Benin Railways (Benirail & Bolloré Railways since 2014)
Botswana Botswana Railways (BR)
Burkina Faso Abidjan-Niger Railway (SITARAIL)
Cameroon Cameroon National Railways Authority (REGIFERCAM)
Côte d'Ivoire Abidjan-Niger Railway (SITARAIL)
Republic of the Congo Congo-Ocean Railway (CFCO)
Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) Due to civil war, a significant portion of the railway system of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is not presently functioning. Congo Railway (CNC) Matadi-Kinshasa Railway
Djibouti Ethio-Djibouti Railways
Egypt Egyptian Railways
Eritrea Eritrean Railway
Ethiopia Ethio-Djibouti Railways
Gabon Gabon State Railways (OCTRA)
Ghana Ghana Railways & Ports (GRP) (Ghana's rail system is largely derelict) Ghana Railway Company
Guinea Guinea Railway
Kenya Kenya Railways Rift Valley Railways Consortium Africa Star Railway Operation Company Limited
Lesotho South African Railways (SAS/SAR)
Liberia Bong Mining Co Lamgo JV Operating Co
Madagascar Madarail Fianarantsoa-Côte Est railway
Malawi Malawi Railways (Central East African Railway)
Mali Dakar-Niger Railway
Mauritania S.N.I.M.
Mauritius
(Doesn't have railway system but light rail Metro Express (Mauritius))
Morocco Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF): national railway office.
Mozambique Mozambique State Railways (Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique) (CFM) Beira Railroad Corporation
Namibia TransNamib TransNamib
Nigeria Nigerian Railway Corporation
Senegal Dakar-Niger Railway
South Africa Blue Train (South Africa) (Tour trains) Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa Transnet Freight Rail Gautrain (Modern High Speed Trains)
Sudan Sudan Railways Gezira Light Railway
Eswatini Eswatini Railways (Swaziland Railway)
Tanzania Tanzania Railways Corporation TAZARA Railway
Togo Togo Railways (RCFT) Although Togo has railways in place, no trains have run on them for many years.
Tunisia Tunisian National Railways (SNCFT)
Uganda Rift Valley Railways Consortium Uganda Railways Corporation
Zambia Zambia Railways TAZARA Railway Mulobezi Railway Maamba Colliery Railway Njanji Commuter Line
Zimbabwe National Railways of Zimbabwe Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway
(There are no railways in Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritius, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, and Somalia.)
Asia
Afghanistan
Afghanistan has only 24.6 km of railway which are railheads from neighbouring countries. Iran and Turkmenistan plan to help Afghanistan build a rail network that would enable Iran and Turkey to link up with Central Asia.
Bangladesh Bangladesh Railway Dhaka Metro Rail
Myanmar Myanma Railways
China
China Railway (CR, 中国铁路 Zhōngguó Tiělù) China Railway High-speed (CRH, 中国高速铁路 Zhōngguó gāosù tiělù) Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway Co. Ltd Urban rail transit in China
Hong Kong
MTR MTR Light Rail Peak Tram Hong Kong Tramways
Macau Macau Light Rail Transit
India Railway Operator Source:http://www.lmrcl.ltd
Metrorail-Consultant.in (Metro Railway) Indian Railways (IR) Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) High Speed Rail Corporation of India Limited (HSRC) Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) RITES (Rail India Technical and Economic Service) Konkan Railway Corporation (KRC) Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) Urban Transit Calcutta Tramways Company (CTC) Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) National Capital Region Transport Corporation Ltd (NCRTC) Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd (MMOPL) Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) Noida Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (NMRCL) Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) Rapid Metro Gurgaon Ltd. (RMGL) Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd. (HMRL) Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation (JMRC) Kerala Monorail Corporation Limited (KMCL) Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (LMRCL)
Indonesia Kereta Api Indonesia (Indonesian Railways / PT KAI) KAI Commuter Palembang LRT Jabodebek LRT (Greater Jakarta LRT) Jakarta MRT (MRTJ) Jakarta LRT (LRTJ) Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (Indonesia-China HSR / KCIC)
Iran Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Asia Seir Aras Company Rail Pardaz Seir Company Railway Services and Technical Construction Engineering Company (RSTC Co.) Raja Rail Transportation Company Behtash Sepahan Rail Transportation Company (BTSCo) Railway Transportation Company Railways Installations & Constructions Engineering Company (Ballast) Rail Tarabar Saba (Transportation)
Iraq Iraqi Republic Railways (IRR)
Israel Israel Railways Carmelit - the world's smallest subway system, in Haifa Cfir, constructing and operating the Jerusalem Light Rail NTA, constructing and operating the Tel Aviv Light Rail
Japan
Japan Railways Group (JR Group)
Jordan Hedjaz Jordan Railway Aqaba Railway Corporation
Kazakhstan Qazaqstan Temir Zholy (Kazakhstan railways)
North Korea Korean State Railway
South Korea
passenger/freight train Korail passenger train AREX subway Busan Transportation Corporation Daegu Transportation Corporation Daejeon Express Transit Corporation Gwangju Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation Incheon Transit Corporation Korail Seoul Metro Seoul Metro Line9 Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation NeoTrans Co. Ltd. (Shinbundang Line) Yongin Light Rail Corporation track management Korea Rail Network Authority signaling system Yookyung Control
Lebanon Lebanon State Railways
Malaysia Freight, intercity and commuter rail Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Malaysia Rail Link Sdn. Bhd. MyHSR Corporation Sdn Bhd. Sabah State Railway (SSR)
Metro and rapid transit Prasarana Malaysia - Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn. Bhd.
Airport train Express Rail Link Sdn. Bhd.
Mongolia UBTZ (Ulaanbaatar Railways)
Nepal Nepal Railways Nepal Government Railway
Pakistan Pakistan Railways (PR) Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) Lahore Metro There are few private companies offering private carrying.
Philippines
Philippine National Railways Light Rail Transit Authority (Line 1 and Line 2) Metro Rail Transit Corporation (Line 3)
Saudi Arabia Saudi Railways Organization Saudi Arabia Railways
Singapore
Main operators SBS Transit (ComfortDelGro) SMRT Trains (SMRT Corporation) Other operators Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (Changi Airport Skytrain) Sentosa Development Corporation (Sentosa Express)
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Railways
Syria General Establishment of Syrian Railways General Establishment of Al Hijaz Railway which runs Hejaz Railway
Taiwan Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation Taiwan Railway
Thailand State Railway of Thailand S.R.T. Electrified Train Company Limited (SRT Red Lines train operator) BTS Group Holdings Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC) BTS Skytrain (BTS, Bangkok Mass Transit: sky train operator) Northern Bangkok Monorail Company (joint venture, MRT Pink Line train operator) Eastern Bangkok Monorail Company (joint venture, MRT Yellow Line train operator) BEM (formerly, BMCL, Bangkok Metro Company Limited: MRT Blue Line and Purple Line train operator) AERA1 (Airport Express operator) Eastern High-Speed Rail Linking Three Airports Company Limited (Eastern Line HSR operator)
United Arab Emirates Etihad Rails
Turkmenistan Demirýollary
Vietnam Vietnam Railways
Europe
Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer
Albania HSH (Albanian Railways - Hekurudha Shqiptare)
Armenia South Caucasus Railway Yerevan Metro
Austria ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways - Österreichische Bundesbahnen, till 1938 called BBÖ) STB (Stubai Valley Railway - Stubaitalbahn) :de:Stubaitalbahn StLB (Styrian Provincial Railways - Steiermärkische Landesbahnen) :de:Steiermärkische Landesbahnen MBS (Montafonerbahn Schruns, from Bludenz to Schruns) :de:Montafonerbahn GKB (Graz-Köflacher Eisenbahn) :de:Graz-Köflacher Eisenbahn LTE (Logistik- und Transport GmbH) :de:Logistik- und Transport GmbH Westbahn
Azerbaijan Passenger/freight train ADY (Azerbaijan Railways - Azərbaycan Dəmir Yolları) Subway Baku Metro (Bakı Metropoliteni)
Belarus Belarusian Railway - , Belarusian Railway website
Belgium NMBS/SNCB (Belgian National Railways - Nationale Maatschappij der Belgische Spoorwegen / Société Nationale des Chemins de fer belges), abbreviated in Dutch/French. Lineas Thalys Eurostar Dillen & Le Jeune Cargo NV
Bosnia-Herzegovina ŽFBH (Railways of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Željeznice Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine) ŽRS (Railways of Republika Srpska - Željeznice Republike Srpske)
Bulgaria BDZh (Bulgarian State Railways - Български Държавни Железници, Bălgarski Dărzhavni Zheleznitsi)
Croatia HŽ Putnički prijevoz d.o.o. (passenger transport) HŽ Cargo d.o.o. (freight transport) HŽ Infrastruktura d.o.o. (infrastructure manager)
Former HŽ (Croatian Railways - Hrvatske željeznice)
Czech Republic Správa železnic, infrastructure ČD (České dráhy, a.s. - Czech Railways), passenger carrier ČDC (ČD Cargo, a.s.), freight JHMD (Jindřichohradecké místní dráhy - Jindřichův Hradec Local Railways) PCI (PKP Cargo International, a.s.) UNIDO (Orlen Unipetrol Doprava, a.s.) MTR (METRANS Rail, s.r.o.) RJ (RegioJet, a.s.) LEO (LEO Express, a.s.) GWTR (GW Train Regio, a.s.) SDKD (SD - Kolejová doprava, a.s.) CZL (CZ Logistics, s.r.o.)
Denmark
Current
State ownership DSB (Danish State Railways - Danske Statsbaner) Banedanmark (Rail Net Denmark)
Public ownership Lokaltog (Local trains) Nordjyske Jernbaner (North Jutland Railways) Midtjyske Jernbaner (Central Jutland Railways) Vestbanen (Western railway) Aarhus Letbane (Aarhus Light Rail) Odense Letbane (Odense Light Rail) Hovedstadens Letbane (Greater Copenhagen Light Rail) Metroselskabet (Metro company - Copenhagen Metro)
Private ownership Arriva Danmark Keolis Danmark Metro Service A/S DB Cargo Scandinavia A/S Contec Rail ApS
Former GDS/HFHJ (Gribskovbanen / Hillerød-Frederiksværk-Hundested Jernbane) HHJ (Odderbanen (Hads-Ning Herreders Jernbane)) HL (Capital City Local Railways - Hovedstadens Lokalbaner) HTJ/OHJ (Høng-Tølløse Jernbane / Odsherreds Jernbane) LJ (Lollandsbanen) LN (Lille Nord) LNJ (Lyngby-Nærum Jernbane) ØSJS (Eastern Railway - Østbanen (Østsjællandske Jernbaneselskab)) VLTJ (Lemvigbanen (Vemb-Lemvig-Thyborøn Jernbane)). A popular song about the railway by Danish band Tørfisk is simply called VLTJ.
Estonia CoalTerminalTrans Coal train operator to Muuga coal terminal (operated in 2006) Edelaraudtee (passenger and freight; 1997–2014) Eesti Raudtee (Estonian Railways, national railway company; privatized 2001, re-nationalized 2006–2007) Elektriraudtee (Electric Railway, Tallinn suburban passenger railway; 1998–2013)