To Deliver AfA For Communities, You Must Deliver With Communities
Judging whether any project is a success depends on your viewpoint. With Access for All (AfA) schemes, you certainly need a wide range of perspectives to determine whether all relevant needs and priorities have been met. We cannot successfully solve access problems without involving people with lived experience. And beyond the functional needs of providing…
Record-breaking performance across the board sees Octavius grow to £320m business
Transport solutions provider Octavius has achieved record growth for the second successive year. The rail and highways infrastructure specialist achieved record turnover of £323 million for financial year 2024-25, and record EBITDA* profit of £13 million – a 60 percent improvement on the previous year. In the last three years Octavius has grown by nearly…
Octavius awarded latest Somerset Council traffic framework
Octavius has won a place on Somerset Council’s Traffic Signals Installation Framework Agreement 2025, expanding further the company’s support for the west country authority. The win was secured by Octavius Regional Civil Engineering, transport infrastructure Tier 1 contractor Octavius’ self-delivery business. As best performing bidder Octavius Regional Civil Engineering has been awarded a £2M traffic…
Octavius wins major role on Banwell Bypass, extending client portfolio
Octavius Regional Civil Engineering has been appointed to the £105 million Banwell Bypass scheme – for the delivery of civil works, structures and drainage packages. The scheme, which is being delivered by principal contractor Galliford Try for North Somerset Council, will construct a 3.3km single carriageway between the A371 and A368. The bypass will enable…
AfA: The Story Behind A Successful Handover
Another new Access for All (AfA) upgraded station opens. But before the ceremonies, ribbon-cutting and public appreciation, there’s a story. It’s one of consultation, attention to detail and applied expertise. While the overall aim of making rail travel easier for all is a constant, the precise means of getting to a successful outcome is always…
Octavius wins Bristol highways framework, extending client portfolio
Octavius Regional Civil Engineering has won a place on Bristol City Council’s Highways Asset Management and Civils Framework 2025-2029. Octavius Regional Civil Engineering is transport infrastructure Tier 1 contractor Octavius’ self-delivery business. The successful bid was for Lot 6: Highway Civil Engineering works over £500,000 and other specialist Highway Engineering works; which is valued at…
AfA on the Ground: A Glimpse into the Day-to-Day
With every Access for All (AfA) scheme being so site-specific – shaped by its unique location, layout, constraints and community, describing a “typical day” on one of these projects is next to impossible. But while the work varies from station to station, certain things never change: the need to adapt quickly, collaborate closely, communicate clearly…
To Accelerate AfA Delivery – It’s Time to Embrace DtC
Value for money always matters. In the case of Access for All (AfA) programmes, improving value for money means giving more people the freedom to access the rail network within the constraints of a finite budget. Maximising value for money has a number of interconnected facets. Above all we boost value by managing project complexity…
Greener modular technology transforms car parking at Ely Hospital
Octavius Infrastructure has successfully completed a new multi-storey modular car park at Ely Hospital, Ely. The three-level plus ground-level car park provides a total of 271 spaces, including sixteen designated disabled bays, eight EV charging points, external bicycle parking, and two lifts. The new facility transforms the former MOD social club site and porters lodge…
Octavius announced as contractor to deliver A38 Major Road Network
Plans for a series of improvement works along the A38 have taken an important step forward as North Somerset Council enter a design and build contract with Octavius. Funded by the Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Somerset Council, the A38 Major Road Network is a project that looks to better connect communities…
Chalkwell station accessibility works move forward with Octavius awarded new construction contract
Passengers using Chalkwell station in Essex will soon benefit from step-free access for the first time, as Network Rail awards a £7.9 million contract to Octavius to deliver accessibility improvements under the Department for Transport’s Access for All’ scheme. Working in collaboration with train operating company c2c and Southend City Council, Network Rail and Octavius…
Why More Delivery Doesn’t Have To Mean More Disruption
Access for All (AfA) represents a transformation for people who previously found the rail network difficult or intimidating to use. The freedom and opportunity offered by rail travel is now something they too can enjoy. Broadening access to rail services through upgraded stations comes with plenty of challenges as Lloyd Jefferson-Smith, Octavius’ Head of Rail…
