Cordel Group PLC (AIM:CRDL) has been awarded a £3,000,000 contract by Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd to provide Point Cloud Data Processing for Structure Gauging across Britain's rail network, running to December 2027 with an optional 12-month extension valued at £1,336,000. Cordel (AIM:CRDL) said the work will be delivered at scale to tackle a national backlog.
Under the contract Cordel will process raw LiDAR collected from its Infrastructure Monitoring Units into gauging outputs compliant with Network Rail Standard NR/L2/TRK/3204. Scope includes establishing automated processing workflows, updating the National Gauging Database, configuring the Track Intervals Module and delivering validated SC0, SCP and SCX files to support recovery of national gauging compliance and reduce operational and safety risk.
The award builds on Cordel’s June 11 certification for all three gauging clearance file types and on the group's existing role storing and managing Network Rail’s National Gauging Dataset.
"This significant contract builds on our long-term investment in Network Rail Structure Gauging approvals, that began back in 2020 with an Innovate UK competition award. 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." John Davis, Chief Executive Officer.
Chairman Ian Buddery added that recent contract momentum has lifted trading: Cordel now expects revenue for the 10 months to end April to be more than 10% ahead of the equivalent period in FY25 and remains confident of delivering a full-year FY26 result in line with Board expectations.
