UK: Network Rail has awarded more than £4.1M of civils examination work to Ground Control and Inspire (Structures), covering railway structures in Wales and tunnel inspections across Wales, South West England and London.

£4.1M Network Rail civils inspection contracts
Photo: Network Rail

Two Year 1 awards split by asset type

Ground Control received the larger package, a £3,659,071 Lot 2 Wales Only CEFA Structures Examinations – Framework Year 1 contract. Inspire (Structures) secured the £450,000 Lot 1 Tunnels W&W Call Off Framework Year 1 contract.

The two awards were made on 23 July under Network Rail’s Wales and Western Civils Examination Framework Agreement – Structures. The procurement route allows call-offs without a further competition because the framework has already established the contractual terms and supplier selection.

The wider framework covers bridges, culverts, retaining walls, coastal and estuary defences, underwater structures and tunnels. Its published tender notice estimated £113M of spend excluding VAT over an eight-year period, with the overall programme structured around annual work banks.

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What civils examinations involve?

For these contracts, civils examinations mean inspecting, examining and reporting on structural assets so defects can be identified, structural integrity monitored and maintenance or repair requirements determined.

Network Rail’s published explanation of its structures inspection regime distinguishes between visual examinations and more detailed or “tactile” surveys. Visual checks look for tracked defects and new areas of concern, while detailed examinations assess individual structural elements, photograph them and record their condition. Network Rail says the frequency of detailed examinations is risk-based and can range from annually to once every 12 years, depending on previous reports.

Access can also vary with the asset. Network Rail lists ladders, mobile elevating work platforms, road-rail vehicles and scaffolding among routine options, while more complex structures can require rope access, underwater teams, CCTV or confined-space equipment. Those methods describe Network Rail’s broader examination practice; the call-off information does not specify which techniques will be used on individual assets under the two new contracts.

The published material also does not state how many bridges, tunnels or other structures are included in the two Year 1 work packages, so the £4.1M contract value cannot be translated into a verified asset count. The contracts are expected to be signed on 10 August and to run from 13 August 2026 to 31 March 2027.

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