Cordel Group secures £3m Network Rail Infrastructure contract

20th Apr 2026 12:04

(Sharecast News) - Cordel Group said on Monday that it has secured a £3m contract with Network Rail Infrastructure to deliver structure gauging data processing services across Britain's rail network.

The AIM-traded group said the contract, which runs to December 2027, included an option to extend to December 2028 for a further £1.336m.

Under the agreement, Cordel would process raw LiDAR data into compliant gauging outputs, supporting Network Rail's efforts to update its National Gauging Database and address backlogs in infrastructure data.

The work would build on Cordel's previously secured certification for Network Rail gauging clearance file types and would see the company deploy its AI-powered platform to deliver structure gauging services at scale.

It said the project was intended to improve safety and operational efficiency by ensuring accurate train-to-infrastructure clearance data across the network.

"This significant contract builds on our long-term investment in Network Rail Structure Gauging approvals, which began back in 2020 with an Innovate UK competition award," said chief executive John Davis.

"We are delighted to be selected to deliver a bulk data refresh into the National Gauging Dataset, which we already store and manage for Network Rail.

"This new contract is a significant deployment of our end-to-end AI technology pipeline.

"We will enable Network Rail to address their legacy backlog and to manage risks, with up-to-date, accurate information so train-infrastructure clearances can be optimised."

Cordel said its platform would be used to process data collected from infrastructure monitoring units, delivering validated outputs required under Network Rail standards and supporting the recovery of national gauging compliance across its 20,000-mile network.

"With the recent momentum in winning contracts and delivering for clients, we now expect our revenue for the 10 months to end April, to be more than 10% ahead of the equivalent period in 2025," commented chairman Ian Buddery.

"Furthermore, we remain confident of delivering a full year 2026 result in line with board expectations."

At 1126 BST, shares in Cordel Group were up 8.73% at 5.98p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.

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