What Story Contracting does

Story Contracting is a privately-owned UK civil engineering and rail infrastructure contractor founded in 1987 by Fred Story and headquartered in Carlisle, Cumbria. The company employs over 900 people across a network of regional offices and plant depots spanning England and Scotland (including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Birmingham, London, Perth and Tamworth), delivering complex infrastructure projects through three principal divisions: rail services (civil engineering, permanent way, bridge reconstruction, station upgrades and electrification support under Network Rail frameworks); construction services (civil engineering and building for manufacturing, industrial, housing, local authority and general contracting clients); and Story Plant, an in-house plant-hire division with a 175-strong PTS-qualified workforce. Service extensions include Story Scotland, Energy, Water, Geotechnical Engineering, Story Drones, and a Training offering. Founded as a local construction business, the company has scaled into a nationally recognised contractor with 37 years of operating history, operating as a unified portfolio of construction, rail, plant, energy, water and geotechnical services.

The revenue model is project-based and contract-driven: revenue is generated through fixed-price contracts and framework agreements won via competitive public-sector tendering, primarily with Network Rail and local authorities in the UK. The customer mix is heavily weighted toward government and public-sector clients, with Network Rail cited across major schemes such as the £80m Hope Valley Railway Upgrade (delivered through the VolkerRailStory joint venture), bridge reconstructions and Access for All station upgrades. Secondary clients include local councils such as Aberdeenshire, Cumberland, Ayrshire Roads Alliance, and Perth and Kinross. The go-to-market is sales-led and reputation-driven, with competitive differentiation resting on a portfolio of safety credentials (10 consecutive RoSPA Gold Awards including the President's Award), industry recognition (Rail Supplier of the Year at the Scottish Transport Awards in 2023, 2025 and 2026), a Social Value Charter delivering monetised community impact, and technology partnerships such as the Virtual Worksite Marker Board pilot with Tended. Innovation is sourced partly through an internal programme called Story Start Up, which connects the business with emerging technology vendors.

Core technical capability centres on specialist delivery in constrained railway possession environments, supported by an extensive in-house plant fleet, abseiler and suspended-cradle access systems for historic structures (which saved £5m and six months on the Royal Border Bridge), and digital worksite technology piloting. The owner-managed status (still chaired by founder Fred Story with Andy Joy as CEO) and the absence of any disclosed external funding round or acquisition indicate an organically grown, founder-controlled business with a JV layer (VolkerRailStory) used selectively to access larger programme work.

Name

Story Contracting

Legal name

Story Contracting Limited

Website

https://storycontracting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Story Contracting is a privately-owned UK civil engineering and rail infrastructure contractor founded in 1987, serving Network Rail, local authorities and government bodies with rail services, construction, in-house plant hire, energy, water and geotechnical engineering solutions across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Engineering and Rail Infrastructure Services

NAICS

Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237990), Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors (23821)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Works General Contracting (IMAFAAAG)

Keywords

• Civil engineering services
• Rail infrastructure construction
• Plant hire services
• Geotechnical engineering
• Bridge reconstruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Carlisle

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Civil Engineering and Construction Services: Project-based civil engineering and building construction services delivered to clients in the manufacturing, industrial, housing, local authority and general contracting sectors. Revenue is generated through fixed-price contracts and framework agreements for discrete construction projects.
2. Rail Infrastructure Services: Railway civil engineering and permanent way services delivered under Network Rail frameworks and direct contracts. Includes major projects such as bridge reconstruction, station upgrades, electrification works, and track enhancements. Revenue is generated through infrastructure project delivery contracts.
3. Plant Hire Services: Specialist plant hire services through Story Plant division, providing PTS-qualified workforce and in-house equipment to support complex rail and construction schemes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Story Contracting is a UK civil engineering, construction and rail infrastructure contractor delivering projects including bridge reconstruction, station upgrades, track enhancement, electrification works, scour protection, and geotechnical engineering to public-sector clients such as Network Rail and local authorities. The company operates an in-house plant division (Story Plant) with a 175 PTS-qualified workforce and provides specialist services across construction, rail, energy, water, drones, and training.

Product overview

Story Contracting is a privately-owned construction and civil engineering company founded in 1987, offering award-winning services across multiple sectors. The company operates as a unified portfolio of integrated services centered around its core competencies in construction, rail infrastructure, and plant hire. The main service divisions include Construction Services, Rail Services, Story Plant (specialist plant fleet with 175 PTS qualified workforce), Story Scotland, Energy, Water, Geotechnical Engineering, Story Drones, and Training. These divisions work together to deliver complex projects across the UK, with particular strength in railway infrastructure projects delivered in partnership with Network Rail.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Story Plant: In-house plant fleet with 175-strong PTS qualified workforce delivering complex construction schemes.
• Story Scotland
• Story Drones

Products and services

• Construction Services Civil engineering and building construction services for clients in the manufacturing, industrial, housing, local authority and general contracting sectors, delivering projects on time and within budget across the UK.
• Rail Services Civil engineering and permanent way services in the railway industry, offering practical and innovative solutions for railway infrastructure including bridge reconstruction, station upgrades, electrification works, track enhancement, and geotechnical engineering for Network Rail and other rail clients.
• Story Plant Specialist plant hire service through the Story Plant division, providing an extensive fleet of in-house equipment and a 175-strong PTS-qualified workforce to deliver complex construction and rail schemes safely, within challenging timescales and to budget.
• Story Scotland Innovative construction and civil engineering solutions delivered across Scotland, providing a collaborative and professional approach to clients throughout the region, including rail, bridges, community infrastructure and geotechnical projects.
• Energy Energy sector infrastructure services and solutions supporting renewable energy and conventional energy projects for utility, developer and government clients.
• Water Water sector infrastructure services and solutions including flood defence, scour protection and water-related civil engineering for utility companies and local authorities.
• Geotechnical Engineering Geotechnical engineering services providing robust data and information to assist in the planning stage of projects, leveraging extensive experience to support construction and rail project delivery.
• Story Drones Drone technology services for surveying, inspection and monitoring of construction and rail sites, supporting safer and more efficient data collection on infrastructure projects.
• Training Industry training services drawing on the company's 35+ years of construction experience and 25 years of rail experience to prepare participants for work on real-life construction and rail projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 consecutive RoSPA Gold Awards including President's Award for health and safety
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Teenage Cancer TrustminorOthers · 1 January 2025National charity partner for 2025/26 as part of Story's charity partnership scheme. Colleagues participated in 'Miles in May' wellbeing challenge raising over £1,000 as first fundraising event of the partnership.
• Foundation ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Foundation Scotland manages and awards the £40,000 Scotland's Railway Community Fund on behalf of Network Rail. Story is a supporting partner alongside AmcoGiffen, QTS, Siemens, VolkerRail, Taziker, Rail Systems Alliance and SPL Powerlines.
• VolkerRailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolkerRailStory joint venture established for major rail infrastructure projects. The JV was appointed to the £80m Hope Valley Railway Upgrade to undertake extensive enhancement works removing bottlenecks between Sheffield and Manchester. Both partners contribute capabilities in rail engineering, civil works, and project delivery under the joint venture structure.
• Network RailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary client partner operating under framework agreements and direct contracts. Story delivers rail infrastructure projects including bridge reconstruction, station upgrades, track enhancement, and electrification works on behalf of Network Rail across multiple routes and regions. The partnership includes collaborative delivery models such as the Agile Client Eastern approach.
• RopeTech Access SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationKey supply chain partner providing innovative abseiler and suspended cradle access solutions for historic structure repairs. Collaboration on Royal Border Bridge repair achieved £5m cost saving and six-month programme reduction versus traditional scaffolding. The partnership enabled engineering delivery on a Grade I listed 28-arch structure over the River Tweed.
• SPL PowerlinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership alongside Network Rail for the Three Arches bridge reconstruction project in Leicestershire. Story delivered the 140-tonne asymmetrical steel arch bridge installation during a planned weekend railway closure to support electrification of the Midland Main Line route from Kettering to Wigston.
• Aberdeenshire CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient partner for the A98 Banff Bridge Scour Protection Scheme — a nine-month project delivering vital scour protection to six piers and both abutments of a Category A-listed 18th-century bridge, protecting the structure for at least 100 years.
• AmeyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the Banff Bridge scour protection project alongside Aberdeenshire Council, providing engineering oversight and project support.
• Cumberland CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient partner for Millom Old Bank restoration project, part of the £29.3 million Millom Town Deal. Story is restoring the historic former NatWest building into a community hub with café, flexible workspaces and workshop.
• Ayrshire Roads AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient partner for £1.4m underpass and sensory garden project in Ayr, delivered for South Ayrshire Council, linking Alloway and Burton with safe pedestrian and cycle access.
• Story Start UpminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternal business support initiative that connects Story with emerging technology providers and innovators. This programme first connected Story with Tended and continues to provide guidance, industry insight, and deployment opportunities to support the development and application of new technologies.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SPL Powerlines: UK overhead line electrification contractor partnering with Network Rail on programmes like Three Arches. Comparable scale to Story on rail electrification and bridges within the same customer ecosystem.
• VolkerRail: Direct UK rail infrastructure contractor competing for the same Network Rail frameworks as Story Contracting. VolkerRail is also Story's JV partner in the VolkerRailStory joint venture, making it both a peer and a collaborator on major programmes like Hope Valley.
• QTS Group: UK rail contractor specialising in earthworks, civils, and geotechnical services for Network Rail. Comparable niche rail contractor profile to Story with overlapping geographic and customer footprint in Scotland.
• Taziker Industrial: UK specialist contractor delivering bridge refurbishment, structural repair, and rail access solutions. Direct peer in heritage bridge and rail infrastructure work, including similar abseiler-based access techniques.
• Colas Rail: International rail infrastructure contractor with significant UK operations delivering track, electrification, and civils for Network Rail. Comparable scale and customer base to Story on rail delivery contracts.
• AmcoGiffen: UK specialist rail and civil engineering contractor delivering bridge, track, and structural works for Network Rail. Direct competitor in the same rail civils category as Story, with comparable PTS-qualified workforce capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Morgan Sindall Infrastructure: UK infrastructure and construction group operating in rail, highways, water, and energy. Competes with Story on Network Rail frameworks while operating at broader scale across multiple infrastructure verticals.
• Kier Group: UK construction and infrastructure group with rail, highways, and utilities operations. Bids into similar Network Rail frameworks and local-authority civil engineering contracts as Story, with broader geographic and sector reach.
• Balfour Beatty plc: One of the UK's largest infrastructure groups with significant rail, highways, and construction operations. Competes against Story for Network Rail frameworks while operating across a much broader portfolio at national scale.
• Amey: UK infrastructure services and engineering consultancy with significant rail, highways, and public-sector infrastructure contracts. Collaborated with Story on the Banff Bridge project but competes on similar framework opportunities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/storycontractng
• Facebookfacebook.com/StoryContracting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/story-contracting-limited

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Story Contracting