About us
DOHL maintains the continuity of passenger rail services if a passenger rail franchise terminates and there is no immediate replacement.
DfT OLR Holdings Limited (DOHL) was established by the Department for Transport and is the public sector-owning group responsible for 4 train operating companies and Train Fleet (2019) Limited, a rolling stock leasing company. DOHL fulfils the Secretary of State for Transport’s requirements under Section 30 of the Railways Act by maintaining the continuity of passenger rail services if a passenger rail franchise terminates and there is no replacement.
DOHL’s primary purpose is to ensure that train operators that transfer from the private to the public sector are managed well ahead of a return to the private sector.
Its vision for its train operators is that they become industry-leading in terms of safety, financial, operational and commercial performance and customer service, with an enhanced reputation compared with when they arrived in the group.
DOHL is committed to working closely with all aspects of the rail industry to ensure the continued provision of critical passenger rail services and maintains constant readiness to take responsibility for train companies that transfer from the private to the public sector as and when required. The DOHL group currently runs more than 3,600 trains a day and employs over 14,800 staff.
DOHL took over the operation of:
- East Coast Main Line, through a wholly owned subsidiary, London North Eastern Railway (LNER) on 24 June 2018
- Northern Rail, through a wholly owned subsidiary, Northern Trains Limited (NTL) on 1 March 2020
- London & South Eastern Railway (LSER) services through a wholly owned subsidiary, Southeastern Trains Limited (SET), from 17 October 2021
- TransPennine Express (TPE), through a wholly owned subsidiary, TransPennine Trains (TPT) on 28 May 2023
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