The Association of Train Operating Companies is a British railway organization created to represent passenger rail franchises after the privatization of the national network. It manages joint operations like ticketing standards, revenue allocation, and the National Rail brand. While North American railroaders do not use this system, it functions similarly to the Association of American Railroads for passenger service coordination.
The new ticketing rules came down from ATOC this morning, so make sure the clerks are updated on the routing restrictions.
Although the organization was officially folded into the Rail Delivery Group, veteran British railway workers still use the acronym when discussing network-wide ticketing policies.
Related terms
TOC
A train operating company is a private business contracted to run services on tracks owned by a public agency or infrastructure authority.
BR
The standard abbreviation for British Rail, the historic state-owned operator of the railway network in Great Britain.
AAR
The Association of American Railroads, the primary industry trade group and standards organization for North American freight rail.