Lanes Group Wins Two Major Rail Maintenance Contracts for London Underground

The rail division of Lanes Group has won major contracts to provide track vegetation management and fencing repair, plus fencing renewal across the entire London Underground network.

Transport for London (TfL) has awarded Lanes Group the two contracts, which run for five years with options for renewal, through a process of competitive tendering.

The two contracts, between them, are worth around £50million over their full terms, and will involve around 130 operatives, plus an operational support team.

The company has begun mobilising the contracts – Track Vegetation and Fencing Maintenance, and Fencing Renewals – with a planned start date in February 2026.

Martin Balcombe, Rail Director for Lanes Group, said: “Winning both these contracts is a testament to the hard work and skill of our teams, including our contact bid team, and the trust TfL puts in us to deliver high quality, innovative work.

“Both contracts provide vital services for London Underground and its millions of customers, in maintaining the safety and security of the capital’s rail network, and we’re determined to do a great job for them from day one.”

Lanes Group has decades of experience working on London’s rail network. It also holds the premises vegetation management contract plus the drainage contract for both track and premises across the London Underground network.

The work will involve vegetation management across 137 miles of overground railway track, including vegetation cutting back, hazardous tree removal, clearing signal sight lines, leaf clearance and removing fly tipped waste.

Fence maintenance will also be carried out under the vegetation contract, while fence replacement falls under the separate fence renewal contract.

Working with TfL and London Underground teams to optimise sustainability and biodiversity will be key elements of both contracts, says Lanes Group Rail Division General Manager Andrew O’Connor.

He added: “Lanes Group shares TfL’s goal to carry out these tasks sensitively to protect the environment, control invasive species and actively encourage biodiversity.

“We are also committed to innovating throughout the term of the contract. Maximising our work’s efficiency, productivity and safety will be key priorities, alongside protecting the environment in the face of continued climate change.”

Lanes Group will now work with TfL to further scope the most efficient and effective way to deliver the contracts, and take responsibility for work teams of incumbent contractors under the TUPE process.