Van Elle confirmed as Network Rail southern region delivery partner

19th Aug 2024 12:03

(Sharecast News) - Ground engineering contractor Van Elle announced on Monday that it has been confirmed as a delivery partner in the Southern Renewals Enterprise's £1.4bn framework programme for Network Rail's Southern region.

The AIM-traded firm said the 10-year programme would focus on minor building and civil works across the Kent, Sussex and Wessex routes during Network Rail's seventh and eighth control periods.

Under the framework, Van Elle said it would handle reactive and planned maintenance, as well as small renewals projects.

The company's work would primarily involve earthworks and drainage, with a particular focus on slope stability - a critical area of infrastructure investment driven by the challenges of climate change.

Van Elle said its involvement in the framework could extend for the full 10 years, subject to performance, positioning it as a key player in maintaining and enhancing the Southern region's rail infrastructure.

"We are delighted to be announced as one of the framework's specialist partners for CP7 and CP8 in the Southern region," said chief executive officer Mark Cutler.

"This is an important milestone for Van Elle - we typically deliver our services through tier-one principal contractors with whom we enjoy high levels of repeat business, but as part of the Southern Renewals Enterprise model in this framework for Network Rail, we will be involved earlier, with much greater workload visibility.

"This will enable us to collaborate with other framework partners and assist in the early development of efficient solutions using our breadth of specialist geotechnical and rail engineering capabilities."

At 1202 BST, shares in Van Elle Holdings were up 0.62% at 42.26p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.