Contracts worth a total of up to £1.1 billion have been awarded to four suppliers of On Track Machines (OTM) to be used in the maintenance and renewal of Britain’s railway network.

The contracts for the On Track Machines include tampers and ballast regulators, and have been awarded to Balfour Beatty Rail Limited, Colas Rail Limited, Swietelsky Babcock Rail (SB Rail) and VolkerRail Specialist Businesses Limited.

As well as supplying the machines, including the tampers and ballast regulators, the contracts include provision of operational and support personnel to carry out routine maintenance, renewals, and upgrade works.

The contract is for eight years from April 2025 to March 2033 for the supply of around 70 On Track Machines that will be used to maintain 20,000 miles throughout the UK to the highest standards.

Each machine will designed to be operational 24/7 and will be self-propelled, giving them to ability to reach work sites quickly. There is a provision in the contract for a two-year extension.

These are the third of such contracts, and reflect the latest standards and technologies. Although four suppliers have been nominated, they will each compete for individual sub-contracts throughout the contract period to provide Network Rail with the flexibility to remove a poorly performing supplier or underperforming machines.

The machines will be required to be operational 24/7 throughout the year. In FY 24/25, the present machines delivered around 14,650 shifts with an operational availability of over 98.35%.

In use, the machines will repack the ballast to lift, level, and align the track into its designed position after it has been misaligned.

In a similar way to naming locomotives, operators of On Track Machines often name their machines, such as Colas did with one of its tampers in Lancashire last June.

It isn’t only main line railways that need regular tamping, as tracks on miniature railways often need alignment, which is why the Ruislip Lido Railway carried out tamping on its own layout.

“This contract represents a substantial investment in the vital maintenance and renewal of Britain’s rail network, ensuring that it’s safe and reliable for the benefit of passengers and freight customers. The longevity of the contracts gives our suppliers the confidence to invest in new plant and update their fleets, ensuring the deployment of the latest machines and technologies. As part of our ongoing focus on sustainability, the new machines will also have an improved carbon footprint, fostering innovation across the industry”

Clive Berrington, Network Rail s Group Director, Railway Business Services