£2.6bn
£XXX.Xm
19,320
1,194
£XXX.Xm
Rail construction companies work under contract from public sector bodies funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) to develop and maintain the UK rail network. Network Rail organises investment in rail into five-year cycles called Control Periods (CP), which can induce volatility – revenue typically peaks in the middle of investment cycles before tailing off at the end. A full public sector wallet for rail infrastructure has added to volatility and fuelled a decreasing revenue trend. Over the five years through 2024-25, revenue is set to climb at a compound annual rate of 5.4% to reach £2.6 billion.
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 5.4 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated £2.6bn in 2024.
Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.
Company | Market Share (%)
2025 | Revenue (£m)
2025 |
---|---|---|
Balfour Beatty Group Ltd | 815.2 | |
Colas Rail Limited | 361.3 | |
Amey UK Ltd | 275.0 |
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Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Trackwork, Supporting work and Electrification work. Trackwork is the largest segment of the Railway & Underground Railway Construction in the UK.
Project delays and budget cuts are shifting attention to track maintenance
This industry includes contractors that work on railways, underground railways and tramway infrastructure. New work, repairs, additions and maintenance on existing infrastructure are all included. However, installing lighting, signalling equipment and constructing bridges are separate from the industry. Contractors sometimes subcontract out work.
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SIC 42.12 - Railway & Underground Railway Construction in the UK
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Network Rail's Control Period investment cycles have induced significant volatility. Rail construction output has rebounded from the pandemic, as work has scaled up to meet C...
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Trackwork will gain momentum as HS2 ramps up. Trackwork will begin following the construction of supporting structures and the completion of the track bed.
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
London remains the focus of rail construction activity. Major projects such as Crossrail, the Northern Line extension, the Bank station capacity upgrade and HS2 are driving a...
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Contractors that offer competitive prices gain an edge on their rivals. Mounting investment in rail infrastructure has intensified competition, driving down prices for more b...
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Balfour Beatty's large maintenance contracts have provided consistent work. Balfour Beatty's alliance with London Underground has provided a continuous stream of maintenance ...
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Construction contractors must comply with standards set by Network Rail. This includes requirements for the planning, design and construction of specific components of rail i...
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Shortages of key materials have skyrocketed prices, pushing up purchase costs. Soaring material costs have increased delivery costs over the last few years.
Including values and annual change:
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Key data sources in the UK include:
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
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The market size of the Railway & Underground Railway Construction in the UK industry in United Kingdom is £2.6bn in 2024.
There are 1,194 businesses in the Railway & Underground Railway Construction in the UK industry in United Kingdom, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.5 % between 2019 and 2024.
The market size of the Railway & Underground Railway Construction in the UK industry in United Kingdom has been growing at a CAGR of 5.4 % between 2019 and 2024.
Over the next five years, the Railway & Underground Railway Construction in the UK industry in United Kingdom is expected to decline.
The biggest companies operating in the Railway & Underground Railway Construction market in United Kingdom are Balfour Beatty Group Ltd, Colas Rail Limited and Amey UK Ltd
Trackwork and Supporting work are part of the Railway & Underground Railway Construction in the UK industry.
The company holding the most market share in United Kingdom is Balfour Beatty Group Ltd.
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Railway & Underground Railway Construction in the UK industry in United Kingdom.