VolkerRail named as partner in the £1.1bn On-Track Machine maintenance contract
Network Rail has named VolkerRail as one of four suppliers to its £1.1 billion contract to supply On-Track Maintenance (OTM) machines vital in maintaining and renewing Britain's railway network; ensuring Britain's 20,000 miles of track is maintained to the highest standards.
The contracts will run for eight years - April 2025 to March 2033 - with the possibility of a two year extension, with VolkerRail’s focus on the London North East, East Midlands and Anglia routes.
VolkerRail will provide Network Rail with a full turnkey operated service across its 11 tamping machines and two ballast regulators, each with a multi-skilled crew including experienced train driver maintainer operators, dedicated managers, engineers, training and competency specialists, planners, and HSQE specialists.
OTM’s are vital to ensure track alignment. When trains travel over the track, they generate enormous forces that cause the track to move underneath. Over time, the track can settle in the incorrect position and OTMs are used to return the geometry by repacking the ballast to lift, level and align the track into its designed position.
Mark Jackson, VolkerRail’s plant director, said: “It’s a privilege to continue to provide our OTM services to Network Rail; with a great fleet, a remarkable team and our many years of industry leading safety performance, it’s an offering that we’re understandably very proud of.
“VolkerRail’s inclusion in this new contract validates the effort, teamwork, exceptional performance and continuous improvement that we’ve seen over the last seven years. In a really positive move, this longer, new contract duration means VolkerRail, Network Rail and our other industry partners can take a strategic approach to continuous improvement.”
