Great Western Coffee Shop

At best I'm ambivalent about the fractured nature of today's UK railways. The pros and cons are fairly balanced. Although that depends on your point of view.

But I got to thinking just how many staff from different employers is it possible to see or encounter on one straightforward train journey from the moment you enter a station until the moment you leave another?

Let's look at Bristol Temple Meads to Birmingham New Street:

First Great Western. Ticket office, gateline and platform staff at BRI.
Mitie. Station cleaners at BRI.
Select Service Partners/Rail Gourmet. Catering outlets on station and providers of on train catering.
CrossCountry. On train staff.
Bombardier. Fitters sometimes seen on XC Voyagers.
Network Rail. Station staff at BHM.
London Midland/Agency: Gateline at BHM.
Initial. Cleaners at BHM.
Virgin Trains. Ticket windows and booking office at BHM.

That's just the obvious ones. There are possibly other staff from other employers you will either see or have dealings with..... as well as the hidden ones that may've been involved in the retailing of your tickets or maintenance of the infrastructure.

British Transport Police.

Severnside Community Rail Partnership.  :P

Barrier staff at BHM are London Midland (although a lot are agency) and about as useful as a chocolate fire guard.

Thanks for that rts. I've edited my OP.  ;)

I've also added Bombardier who may be encountered fixing things on a XC Voyager! Used to see them regularly onbaord fixing the toilets or the shop's fridges and coffee machine. Less so now what with the shops disappearing and seemingly having eradicated most of the common toilet faults. However, I did see a Bombardier technician onboard the other other day - wasn't tinkering as far as I could see - maybe just passing back to depot having completed a job.

Ooh, er: another unusually large passenger flow, perhaps?  :o

The bombardier boys are generally hidden in cabs getting download data, though you do see them out and about tinkering with air con and display screens, their uniform is fairly generic so I suppose a lot of people don't even notice them.
Another for your list is ISS, XC turnaround and (once in a blue moon) onboard cleaners.

Network Rail have to feature somewhere or you wouldnt get from A to B.