| Type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Headquarters | London |
| Area served | Greater London and Watford, England |
| Key people | Steve Murphy, Chairman |
| Services | Train operations |
| Parent | MTR Corporation/DB Regio |
| Website | http://www.lorol.co.uk |
London Overground Rail Operations Ltd (LOROL), initially known as MTR Laing, is a train operating company contracted to operate the London Overground train service on the National Rail network, under the franchise control of Transport for London. The company is a 50:50 joint venture between the Hong Kong metro rail operator MTR Corporation and the German rail operator DB Regio (a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG).[1]
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The formal contract to operate the Overground was signed on July 2, 2007, and LOROL commenced operation on 11 November 2007. The contract lasts seven years, with the option of a two-year extension.[2]
LOROL was formed in 2007 as MTR Laing, a joint venture between MTR and Laing Rail.[2] In preparation for the launch of the Overground, MTR Laing renamed itself London Overground Rail Operations Ltd (LOROL).
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), and in April 2008, Deutsche Bahn announced it had bought Laing Rail.[3]
In 2005 LOROL (then MTR Laing) bid unsuccessfully for the Thameslink/Great Northern franchise; the franchise was awarded to First Group, which branded its services First Capital Connect.[4]
| New creation | Operator of London Overground concession 2007 - present |
Incumbent |