**London**: Network Rail has selected AtkinsRéalis to lead its Property Digital Programme, aimed at transforming its vast property management systems. This initiative will enhance digital solutions for managing a large portfolio, including prime retail spaces, with a focus on increasing efficiency and revenue generation.
Network Rail has appointed AtkinsRéalis to spearhead its ambitious Property Digital Programme, a transformative initiative aimed at modernising the digital systems that underpin one of the largest property portfolios in the UK. This development was announced on 18 February 2025, with the engineering services and nuclear company set to take on a system integrator role over the next three years.
AtkinsRéalis will oversee the management and enhancement of Network Rail’s property division, which encompasses a substantial portfolio that includes 600,000 square feet of prime retail space located in key urban centres across the country. The property division is responsible for 19 of the UK’s largest stations, as well as managing 39,000 properties, 78,000 rental spaces, and 9,000 tenants.
During this period, AtkinsRéalis will implement a comprehensive suite of digital solutions, which will include the establishment of a sophisticated Property Digital Hub designed to provide end-to-end management of the entire property portfolio. Notably, the company plans to upgrade the technology behind tracking retail customer footfall and heat mapping, which offers insights into the usage patterns at the stations frequented by approximately 700 million passengers annually.
Hamish Kiernan, Commercial Director of Network Rail Property, noted, “We’re committed to delivering positive experiences not only for our passengers and customers, but also for our partners. Working with AtkinsRéalis, we will be able to drive efficiencies and increase revenue which is reinvested back into the railway. The new systems and processes we will develop together will bring significant improvements for our tenants, and enable us to work simpler and better.”
Colette Carroll, Managing Director for Transportation at AtkinsRéalis in the UK, remarked on the importance of the relationship with Network Rail, stating: “Network Rail is always seeking ways to maximise the value of its property portfolio to deliver positive experiences to both retailers and passengers, and robust digital systems and informative data are essential to this goal.” Carroll highlighted the firm’s capacity to integrate engineering, asset management, and digital delivery within passenger environments, underscoring the significance of safety considerations in their approach.
AtkinsRéalis brings extensive experience in asset management, having previously worked with critical infrastructure, including Heathrow Airport. This project marks the company’s initial foray into managing digital systems for a property portfolio of such scale.
The overarching aim of Network Rail’s Property Digital Programme is to advance its vision of creating “Destination Stations”. This goal entails making operational, technological, financial, and process improvements that will help generate new and increased revenue while upholding the highest standards of safety. As Network Rail embarks on this initiative, the collaboration with AtkinsRéalis is expected to shape the future of property management within the railway sector.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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