PBH Rail Group

What PBH Rail Group does

PBH Rail Group (legal entity PBH Rail Ltd) is a York-headquartered, privately held rail infrastructure engineering consultancy serving the UK rail sector, founded in 2003 and operating for over two decades. The firm delivers multidisciplinary design, survey and engineering assurance services to Network Rail and its principal contractor supply chain across six practice areas: Access Planning, Survey Services, Permanent Way, OLE Services, Civil Consulting, and Systems Engineering. Its client base is concentrated in UK rail and includes Network Rail, Arcadis, AECOM, Amey, Babcock, Colas Rail, Jacobs, Keltbray, Murphy, Story, Systra, Tony Gee, TSO, Vinci, and Volker Rail.

The company's core technical offering combines traditional rail engineering with a structured digital documentation layer. Its Access Planning practice produces Digital Safe Work Packs (SWPs) compliant with Network Rail Standard NR/L2/OHS/019, replacing paper-based packs with version-controlled, risk-assessed, auditable digital documents. Survey Services covers plain line through complex switch-and-crossing (S&C) installations using laser scanning and modern surveying techniques. Permanent Way design is positioned as the integration thread across multidisciplinary interfaces, while OLE Services covers railway electrification, Civil Consulting provides buildable Design & Build solutions, and Systems Engineering provides engineering assurance and design staff for project delivery. Full organisational compliance with ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, RISQS (supplier no. 3071), SSIP, Constructionline Gold and PTS (NR/L2/CTM/021) is held, with all field staff PTS-certified.

The business model is project-based professional services delivered through a direct enterprise sales motion to UK rail clients, with revenue derived from quote-based consultancy engagements across the six disciplines. No public pricing exists; engagements are typically won through Network Rail frameworks and principal contractor supply chains. The company operates from an owned York headquarters at 4 Custance Walk and a leased Peterborough office, with no evidence of external equity investment, M&A activity, or public listing. A recent growth vector is the Civil Consulting division, launched in October 2023 and reported (October 2024 first anniversary) at £500,000 of first-year turnover across 36 projects.

Name

PBH Rail Group

Legal name

PBH Rail Ltd

Website

https://pbhrail.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

PBH Rail Group is a privately held UK rail engineering consultancy founded in 2003, delivering multidisciplinary design, survey, access planning, OLE, civil and systems engineering services to Network Rail and its principal contractor supply chain across six practice areas with 100+ staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rail Engineering Consultancy

NAICS

Support Activities for Rail Transportation (4882)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Rail Civil Structures & Right-of-Way Management (Earthworks, Drainage, Vegetation) (TLAJADAE)

Keywords

• Rail engineering consultancy
• Railway infrastructure design
• Track permanent way
• Overhead line electrification
• Geometric rail surveying

Headquarters

HQ city

York

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Rail Engineering Consultancy Services: Provision of railway infrastructure consultancy services specializing in rail specific Track Access Planning, Geometric Surveys, Permanent Way, Overhead Line and Civil & Structural Design including Engineering Management and Design Assurance. Revenue generated through project-based consultancy engagements with UK rail sector clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PBH Rail Group provides rail infrastructure consultancy services to the UK rail sector across six disciplines: Access Planning (with Digital Safe Work Packs), Survey Services, Permanent Way, OLE Services, Civil Consulting, and Systems Engineering. Services span Track Access Planning, Geometric Surveys, Permanent Way design, Overhead Line design, Civil & Structural Design, Engineering Management and Design Assurance, delivered through all stages of design including S&C, remodelling, depots, platform rebuilds/extensions, plain line and high output renewals.

Product overview

PBH Rail Group provides a portfolio of rail infrastructure consultancy services to the UK Rail sector. The company operates as a unified service provider offering six interconnected disciplines: Planning (Access Planning with Digital Safe Work Packs), Survey Services, Permanent Way, OLE Services, Civil Consulting, and Systems Engineering. The company emphasizes multidisciplinary integration, where these services work together as part of wider design teams, with the track discipline often serving as the common thread in interfacing engineering requirements. PBH employs over 100 people across these six areas, delivering projects through all stages of design including S&C, remodelling, depots, platform rebuilds/extensions, plain line and high output renewals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Access Planning Delivers end-to-end rail access planning across the UK, managing every aspect of possession and Safe Work planning across Network Rail Managed Infrastructure, including the production and delivery of Digital Safe Work Packs (SWPs). Targeted at Network Rail, principal contractors and works delivery clients.
• Survey Services Provides a full spectrum of survey support services from plain line sites through to complex switch and crossing (S&C) surveys, using modern surveying techniques and laser scanning. Targeted at UK rail clients and works delivery projects.
• Permanent Way Provides track discipline services as part of a wider multidisciplinary design team, serving as the common thread in interfacing engineering requirements and quality on UK rail projects. Targeted at principal contractors and Network Rail works delivery projects.
• OLE Services Provides efficient railway electrification design services for UK national infrastructure projects, supporting OLE requirements as part of multidisciplinary rail design teams. Targeted at rail clients undertaking electrification works.
• Civil Consulting Provides buildable, right-first-time design solutions in the Design & Build railway environment through an accomplished team of engineers, covering Civil & Structural Design as part of multidisciplinary rail delivery. Targeted at D&B railway clients and works delivery projects.
• Systems Engineering Provides highly experienced, qualified engineering staff for all aspects of project delivery and engineering assurance across UK rail projects, covering Engineering Management and Design Assurance. Targeted at clients needing multidisciplinary engineering assurance support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Civils division completed 36 projects in first year with £500,000 turnover

Named customers16 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Network RailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBH delivers services across Network Rail Managed Infrastructure, including production and delivery of digital Safe Work Packs compliant with Network Rail Standard NR/L2/OHS/019. The company is a RISQS verified supplier (no. 3071) and provides multidisciplinary design services for rail projects.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• WSP: Major global engineering consultancy with a large UK rail infrastructure design practice across track, civils, OLE and systems engineering. Competes for the same Network Rail frameworks that feed PBH's prime contractor customers.
• Jacobs: Large global engineering and professional services firm with a major UK rail design and assurance practice. Listed as a PBH customer and competes in adjacent disciplines for Network Rail frameworks.
• Mott MacDonald: Global engineering consultancy with a substantial UK rail design practice covering permanent way, OLE, civils and systems. Operates as a Tier 1 supplier to Network Rail and competes with PBH indirectly via prime contractor bids and direct frameworks.
• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy firm with a significant UK rail infrastructure practice. Acts both as a PBH customer (Arcadis Survey Manager provided a public testimonial) and as an indirect competitor when bidding directly for Network Rail design mandates.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consultancy with one of the largest UK rail design practices spanning track, civils, OLE and systems. Listed as a PBH customer while also competing for the same Network Rail and prime contractor workstreams.
• Systra: Global specialist rail engineering consultancy with significant UK design presence across track, OLE, civils and systems. Listed as a PBH customer and competes for similar Network Rail and prime contractor mandates.

Direct peers

• SPL Powerlines: Specialist provider of overhead line electrification (OLE) design and construction services to Network Rail and UK rail contractors. Direct overlap with PBH's OLE Services discipline and listed as a PBH customer on its logo wall.
• Tony Gee and Partners: UK-based civil and rail engineering design consultancy of comparable size, providing multidisciplinary design services to the rail sector including track, structures, and geotechnical. Listed as a PBH customer and a direct competitor for the same Network Rail Works Delivery briefs.
• BakerHicks: UK engineering design consultancy with a strong rail infrastructure practice offering permanent way, OLE, civils and systems engineering design services. Closely comparable in size and service mix, and a named PBH customer/competitor for Tier 1 design frameworks.
• HBPW Consulting Engineers: UK civil and structural engineering consultancy with a rail infrastructure practice serving Network Rail and its supply chain. Comparable in scale and discipline breadth, and listed among PBH's customer logos.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pbhrail
• Facebookfacebook.com/PBHRailGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pbh-surveys/?originalSubdomain=uk

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 PBH Rail Group