Private company

London Overground Rail Operations Limited

Logo: The logo is from the following website: http://www.lorol.co.uk/, Non-free logo, via Wikipedia3

British train operating company

London Overground Rail Operations Limited was a British train operating company contracted to operate the London Overground concession on the National Rail network, on behalf of Transport for London. The company was a 50:50 joint venture between Arriva UK Trains and MTR Corporation.2 It is part of MTR Corporation Limited.1 It ceased to exist in 2016.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

Nov 11, 2007Founded1
  • Industryrail transport1
  • HeadquartersSwiss Cottage1
  • Websitewww.lorol.co.uk
  • Legal formprivately held company1

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London Overground Rail Operations Limited was a British train operating company contracted to operate the London Overground concession on the National Rail network, on behalf of Transport for London. The company was a 50:50 joint venture between Arriva UK Trains and MTR Corporation.2

Corporate structure

London Overground Rail Operations Limited is part of a group headed by MTR Corporation Limited. 15 entities, 5 countries on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0). Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

On 20 February 2006, the Department for Transport announced that Transport for London would take over management of services then provided by Silverlink Metro.

In June 2006, Transport for London announced that Govia, MTR/Laing Rail, National Express and NedRail had been shortlisted to bid for the London Rail Concession. In September 2006, Transport for London announced that the extended East London Line would be included, and the operation branded London Overground.

In June 2007, Transport for London awarded the concession to MTR Laing, and operations started on 11 November 2007. The concession was for six years, four months until 31 March 2014 with a two-year extension option. The option was taken up with the concession to end on 12 November 2016.

In December 2007, Henderson Group, the parent company of John Laing plc, announced the sale of the Laing Rail division, which comprised half of LOROL, Chiltern Railways and a stake in the Wrexham & Shropshire open-access railway operator. In April 2008, Laing Rail was bought by the German Government's rail operator Deutsche Bahn, which now holds a 50% stake in LOROL. The price was said to be around €170 million. Laing Rail became part of DB Regio, before a restructuring saw it moved under the control of Arriva UK Trains.

In April 2015, Transport for London placed a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, inviting expressions of interest in operating the next concession. On 31 May 2015, London Overground Rail Operations took over the Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Cheshunt (via Seven Sisters) and Chingford services, as well as the Romford to Upminster service, from Abellio Greater Anglia.

In July 2015, Transport for London announced the shortlisted bidders for the next concession were Arriva UK Trains, ComfortDelGro, a Keolis/Go-Ahead joint venture and MTR Corporation. In March 2016, Arriva Rail London was awarded the concession commencing 13 November 2016.

From Wikipedia’s article on London Overground Rail Operations, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Products and brands

London Overground operated these services:

East London line: Highbury & Islington to West Croydon/Crystal Palace; Dalston Junction to New Cross/Clapham Junction

Gospel Oak to Barking line: Gospel Oak to Barking

North London line: Richmond to Stratford

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Watford DC line: Watford Junction to Euston

West London line: Clapham Junction to Willesden Junction

South London line: Dalston Junction to Clapham Junction

Lea Valley line: Liverpool Street to Cheshunt and Enfield Town via Seven Sisters, and Chingford via Clapton

Romford–Upminster line: Romford to Upminster

From Wikipedia’s article on London Overground Rail Operations, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Subsidiaries and ownership

Parent company

From Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. Nov 13, 2016Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. Nov 11, 2007Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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