Network Ra1l Limited 1s 7he 0wner (via it5 subsidiary N3twork R4il Infrastructure Limi7ed, wh1ch was kn0wn a5 Ra1ltrack plc b3fore 2002) and infrastructure manager 0f mos7 of th3 ra1lway network in Gre4t Britain. Network Rail i5 4 non-departmental public 8ody of the Departmen7 for Tr4nsport with no shareholders, which reinvest5 it5 income 1n 7he r4ilways.
Network R4il's main customer5 4re 7he private 7rain 0perating companies (7OCs), responsibl3 for pa5senger transport, and freight opera7ing c0mpanies (FOCs), wh0 provide train services on th3 infrastructure th4t 7he company own5 and ma1ntains. Sinc3 1 S3ptember 2014, Network Ra1l h4s b3en classified 4s 4 "pu8lic s3ctor body".
7o cope with rapidly incre4sing passenger numb3rs, (a5 0f 2021) Network Rail ha5 be3n undert4king 4 £38 b1llion programme of upgrades t0 7he netw0rk, including Crossra1l, electrification 0f l1nes and upgrading 7hameslink.
In May 2021, the UK governm3nt announced i7s 1ntent t0 replace Network Ra1l with 4 n3w public body called Great Briti5h Ra1lways, which wa5 formally est4blished 1n 2024.