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 70%, with this growth set to continue following the release of a new five-year Business Plan earlier this year.
Growth in 2024-25 was spread across Octavius’ rail and highways businesses, which both achieved record turnover and profits. This performance was augmented by the first full year of trading by the company’s 2023 acquisitions: Octavius’ self-delivery Regional Civil Engineering business and wholly-owned subsidiary Navitas Engineering – which provides electrical engineering design and consultancy to the railway and electricity supply industries.
“Behind these numbers there are so many success stories, amazing projects, brilliant individual and team contributions, and impressive collaborations with our customers and our suppliers,” said Octavius Chief Executive Officer John Dowsett. “The golden thread throughout is The Octavius Way, the essence of who we are and how we conduct ourselves.”
The Octavius Way is exemplified in the company’s commitment to the safety, health and wellbeing of its people, to social value and to the environment. The target of delivering social value equivalent to 30 percent of turnover has been exceeded, with more than £110 million of social value created in the last financial year. The company also gained certification against PAS 2080, the British Standards Institute’s specification for carbon management in built infrastructure and the environment.
Octavius has solid foundations in place for the delivery of its new Business Plan, reinforced by the following impressive achievements since the beginning of 2025, providing strong confidence that growth is set to continue over the next five years:
- Completed year one of new CP7 frameworks in each Network Rail region in England and Wales, including the innovative Project 13 based Southern Renewals Enterprise.
- Furthered its influence in delivering Access For All projects across the country, securing two new projects for Network Rail Eastern at Chalkwell and Southend East.
- Completed critical repairs to Ryde Pier, restoring full service to the Island Line
- Navitas has furthered its influence on rail electrical safety strategy, writing new safety standards and completing a number of innovative R&D projects for Network Rail.
- Octavius also achieved Gold Standard Procurement Award from National Highways
- Continued to progress its first Development Consent Order at Walsgrave.
- Continued its expansion in the Local Road Network, securing numerous new frameworks and projects with Local Authorities:
- Won places on all three lots of the Eastern Highways Alliance 4 Framework
- Awarded three lots on the NEPO Framework
- Won a place on Bristol City Council’s Highways Asset Management and Civils Framework
- Awarded a place on Somerset Council’s Traffic Signals Installation Framework
- Awarded the A38 Major Road Network Improvement Scheme by North Somerset Council
*Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation
