Total Rail Solutions: The UK Rail Company Explained

Introduction

Total Rail Solutions was a UK rail plant and infrastructure-support company that supplied specialist machinery, trained operators and labour for railway construction and maintenance projects.

Readypower Group acquired 100% of Total Rail Solutions on 16 October 2023 after the business faced financial pressure, cancelled projects and a smaller future work programme. The original registered company entered members’ voluntary liquidation in June 2024.

As of July 2026, Total Rail Solutions Limited no longer operates as an independent UK rail company. Its former business activities were acquired for integration into Readypower Group.

Total Rail Solutions Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Legal name	Total Rail Solutions Limited
Short name	TRS
Former name	Total Solutions (Southern) Ltd
Company number	06076007
Incorporated	31 January 2007
Country	United Kingdom
Industry	Rail plant and infrastructure services
Main services	Road-rail vehicle hire, plant operations and labour
Acquired by	Readypower Group Limited
Acquisition date	16 October 2023
Liquidation began	27 June 2024
Current status	In liquidation

What Was Total Rail Solutions?

Total Rail Solutions was a business-to-business supplier serving Britain’s railway industry.

It did not operate passenger trains, manage railway stations or sell travel tickets. Its role was to provide the heavy machines, operators and technical support needed to build, repair and maintain railway infrastructure.

The company became particularly known for supplying road-rail vehicles.

A road-rail vehicle is a specialist machine that can operate on normal ground and railway tracks. These machines can be used for lifting, digging, carrying materials and completing difficult jobs beside or directly on railway lines.

Total Rail Solutions worked within the wider supply chain supporting Network Rail and major railway contractors.

What Services Did Total Rail Solutions Provide?

Total Rail Solutions offered several connected services for railway projects.

Road-Rail Vehicle Hire

The company hired specialist road-rail vehicles to railway contractors.

Its equipment included excavators, cranes, lifting machinery and other machines adapted for use on railway tracks.

These vehicles helped workers reach locations that ordinary construction equipment could not easily access.

Operated Plant Hire

Clients could hire machinery with an approved and trained operator.

This service was useful because railway equipment must be operated under strict safety and technical rules.

The customer received both the machine and the person qualified to use it.

Non-Operated Plant Hire

The company could also provide machines without an operator when the customer already had suitably trained and approved workers.

Plant Operations Scheme Services

Total Rail Solutions provided Plant Operations Scheme services, commonly called POS services.

These services involved planning, managing and supervising the safe use of specialist plant on railway sites.

The work could include checking equipment, organising operators and making sure machinery was used according to railway safety requirements.

Labour and Civil-Engineering Support

The company supplied workers and subcontracting support for railway construction, repair and improvement work.

Its services supported activities such as:

• Track maintenance
• Railway electrification
• Civil engineering
• Infrastructure renewal
• Material handling
• Site preparation
• Equipment transportation

When Was Total Rail Solutions Founded?

The company was incorporated on 31 January 2007 under the name Total Solutions (Southern) Ltd.

It began mainly as a railway consultancy business. It later expanded into road-rail machinery and operated plant services.

By moving from consultancy into machinery and project support, the company became more directly involved in railway construction and maintenance.

Its registered name changed to Total Rail Solutions Limited in September 2020.

How Did Total Rail Solutions Grow?

Total Rail Solutions expanded by investing in specialist machinery and opening facilities near important railway projects.

By 2018, an industry report stated that the company had around 83 machines and had made a large investment in its fleet. These were historical figures and should not be treated as current financial information.

The company also worked with engineering suppliers to develop road-rail excavators based on Doosan machinery.

These machines were designed to complete heavy construction tasks while working safely on railway infrastructure.

Readers interested in how engineering shaped Britain’s railway system can also explore the story of British railway engineering through the work of locomotive designer Nigel Gresley.

Expansion Into South Wales

Total Rail Solutions supported work connected with the Bristol-to-Cardiff railway electrification programme.

The company later opened a permanent facility in Cwmbran, South Wales.

The depot helped it supply machines, operators and support to railway projects across Wales and nearby areas.

Its Welsh expansion also reflected the company’s move into a wider range of services, including civil engineering, labour provision and machinery transportation.

Thatcham Headquarters

In 2020, Total Rail Solutions moved its main operation from Basingstoke to Greenham Business Park in Thatcham, Berkshire.

The new facility included office space and a large yard for storing and managing railway machinery.

The location also provided access to major roads, making it easier to transport heavy equipment to railway sites across Britain.

Warrington Facility

The company opened another facility in Warrington in June 2022.

The location was intended to improve support for railway customers and projects in north-west England.

By this stage, the company had developed a network of operating locations in southern England, Wales and the north-west.

Who Led Total Rail Solutions?

Paul Bateman was one of the company’s most visible senior leaders.

He held roles including chief operating officer, managing director and chief executive.

Bateman became a registered director following a management buyout in November 2018. He resigned as a director on 16 October 2023, the date Readypower acquired the company.

Readypower-linked directors were appointed after the purchase.

Because Total Rail Solutions is now in liquidation, those legal directorships should not be confused with the management of an active and independent TRS business.

Who Owned Total Rail Solutions?

Before its sale, Total Rail Solutions had an ownership structure connected with Track Bidco Limited and investment firm Rutland Partners.

Readypower Group purchased 100% of the company’s share capital on 16 October 2023.

This gave Readypower full ownership and control of the business.

The official announcement did not disclose the purchase price. Any online estimate of the sale value would therefore be unsupported unless backed by a reliable transaction document.

Why Did Readypower Acquire Total Rail Solutions?

Readypower said Total Rail Solutions had been struggling financially in a difficult railway market.

The problems identified in the announcement included:

• Recent project cancellations
• A shrinking future work programme
• Difficult trading conditions
• The approaching end of Network Rail’s Control Period 6
• A need for additional investment

A railway control period is a fixed planning period used to organise infrastructure spending, maintenance and improvement work.

As a control period comes to an end, railway suppliers can experience delays while future budgets and contracts are prepared.

This can create uncertainty for companies that depend on a steady flow of railway projects.

Similar financial challenges can affect businesses across the wider construction market. Rising costs and reduced margins are explained further in this guide to contractor margin pressure.

Readypower said it planned to provide initial capital, create stability for employees and integrate Total Rail Solutions into its wider group.

What Happened After the Acquisition?

The acquisition was completed on 16 October 2023.

Readypower announced that it would begin integrating Total Rail Solutions before the start of the next railway control period.

This meant the company’s machinery, employees, knowledge and operating activities could become part of Readypower’s broader rail-services business.

The original Total Rail Solutions Limited legal entity later entered members’ voluntary liquidation on 27 June 2024.

The acquisition and liquidation were separate events.

First, Readypower purchased the business.

The old registered company was then placed into a formal process through which its remaining affairs and assets could be settled.

Is Total Rail Solutions Still Operating?

Total Rail Solutions does not appear to continue as a separate and independent railway supplier.

Readypower acquired the complete business and announced plans to integrate it into the Readypower Group.

The official Companies House record lists Total Rail Solutions Limited as being in liquidation.

People looking for current machinery, plant-hire or railway infrastructure services connected with the former company should therefore look toward Readypower rather than expecting TRS to remain an independent supplier.

What Does Members’ Voluntary Liquidation Mean?

Members’ voluntary liquidation is a formal process used to close a solvent company.

It normally begins after directors declare that the company should be able to pay its debts within the legally required period.

This is different from compulsory liquidation, where a court may order a company to close following action from creditors.

It is therefore not accurate to describe Total Rail Solutions simply as bankrupt.

Readypower did say that the business had experienced financial pressure before the acquisition. However, the later winding-up process was officially recorded as members’ voluntary liquidation and included a declaration of solvency.

What Happened to the Employees and Machinery?

Readypower said the acquisition was intended to provide stability for Total Rail Solutions and its employees.

The deal also gave Readypower access to the company’s road-rail machinery, operating knowledge and experienced workforce.

These resources could strengthen Readypower’s ability to support railway construction and maintenance projects.

A complete public record of what happened to every employee, machine and former location has not been published. It is therefore safer to state only that Readypower planned to integrate the business and support its long-term future.

Why Was Total Rail Solutions Important?

Total Rail Solutions supported an important but less visible part of Britain’s railway industry.

Passengers usually see trains, stations and platforms. They may not see the specialist machines and workers responsible for maintaining the tracks and infrastructure.

Companies such as Total Rail Solutions helped contractors:

• Repair railway lines
• Move heavy materials
• Support electrification projects
• Replace infrastructure components
• Complete civil-engineering work
• Operate during planned railway closures
• Reach difficult construction locations

Its road-rail vehicles were valuable because they could work on railway tracks and ordinary construction surfaces.

This made Total Rail Solutions part of the specialist supply chain behind the safe operation and improvement of Britain’s rail network.

Total Rail Solutions Company Timeline

2007

Total Solutions (Southern) Ltd was incorporated and began mainly as a railway consultancy.

2008

The business expanded into operated road-rail plant services.

2018

It opened a facility in Cwmbran, South Wales, and completed a management buyout later that year.

2020

The company moved its main operation to Greenham Business Park in Thatcham.

Its registered name changed to Total Rail Solutions Limited in September.

2022

A new facility opened in Warrington to support projects in north-west England.

2023

Readypower Group acquired 100% of the business on 16 October.

2024

The original company entered members’ voluntary liquidation on 27 June.

2026

Companies House continued to list Total Rail Solutions Limited as being in liquidation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was Total Rail Solutions?

Total Rail Solutions was a UK company that supplied specialist machinery, operators and support for railway construction and maintenance projects.

What did Total Rail Solutions do?

It provided road-rail vehicle hire, operated plant, POS services, labour, civil-engineering support and machinery transportation.

Who bought Total Rail Solutions?

Readypower Group Limited bought 100% of the company’s share capital in October 2023.

Why did Readypower buy the company?

Readypower said Total Rail Solutions needed additional investment after facing project cancellations, difficult market conditions and a shrinking future work programme.

Is Total Rail Solutions still trading?

It no longer operates as an independent UK rail company. Its business was acquired for integration into Readypower, while the original legal entity is in liquidation.

Is Total Rail Solutions bankrupt?

It should not simply be described as bankrupt. Its official status is members’ voluntary liquidation, supported by a declaration of solvency.

When did Total Rail Solutions enter liquidation?

The winding-up process began on 27 June 2024.

Where was Total Rail Solutions based?

Its later main operating base was at Greenham Business Park in Thatcham, Berkshire. It also had facilities in Cwmbran and Warrington.

Does Total Rail Solutions belong to Readypower?

Readypower acquired 100% of Total Rail Solutions’ shares in October 2023.

Where should former customers look for services?

Customers seeking current rail plant or infrastructure services should look at Readypower’s operations because Total Rail Solutions no longer appears to trade independently.

Conclusion

Total Rail Solutions was a specialist UK railway company that provided road-rail vehicles, plant operators, labour and infrastructure support.

It grew from a small consultancy into a machinery and services provider with facilities in England and Wales.

However, cancelled projects, difficult market conditions and a smaller future work programme placed pressure on the business. Readypower Group acquired the entire company in October 2023 and announced plans to integrate its operations.

The original Total Rail Solutions Limited legal entity entered members’ voluntary liquidation in June 2024. As of July 2026, it remains listed in liquidation and no longer operates as an independent railway supplier.