BABCOCK RAIL LIMITED
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Cash
£4.6m
-22.5% lowest in 3 filed years
Net assets
£133m
+3.9% vs 2025
Employees
582
-13.9% lowest in 3 filed years
Profit before tax
£3.9m
+108.8% vs 2025
Net assets
3-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
3-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2026-03-31
| Metric | Trend | 2024-03-31 | 2025-03-31 | 2026-03-31 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £170,951,000 | £116,338,000 | £83,264,000 | -28.4% | |
| Operating profit | £4,773,000 | -£5,247,000 | -£2,166,000 | +58.7% | |
| Profit before tax | £12,588,000 | £1,847,000 | £3,857,000 | +108.8% | |
| Net profit | £12,215,000 | £1,255,000 | £1,411,000 | +12.4% | |
| Cash | £31,102,000 | £5,931,000 | £4,595,000 | -22.5% | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £139,258,000 | £144,754,000 | £145,131,000 | +0.3% | |
| Net assets | £133,635,000 | £127,969,000 | £132,954,000 | +3.9% | |
| Equity | £133,635,000 | £127,969,000 | £132,954,000 | +3.9% | |
| Average employees | 745 | 676 | 582 | -13.9% | |
| Wages | £47,621,000 | £39,997,000 | £35,925,000 | -10.2% | |
| Directors' remuneration | £206,000 | £211,000 | £209,000 | -0.9% | |
| Directors' pension contributions | £10,000 | £12,000 | £12,000 | 0% | |
| Highest paid director | £206,000 | £211,000 | £209,000 | -0.9% |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. The Δ column is the change from the prior filed period as a percentage of |prior|; lines a company doesn't report show —. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2024-03-31 | 2025-03-31 | 2026-03-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 2.8% | -4.5% | -2.6% | |
| Net margin | 7.1% | 1.1% | 1.7% | |
| Return on capital employed | 3.4% | -3.6% | -1.5% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 34.9% | 26.4% | 24.3% | |
| Current ratio | 0.88x | 5.69x | 5.52x | |
| Interest cover | 4.40x | -2.60x | -1.21x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Name history
Renamed 2 times since incorporation
- BABCOCK RAIL LIMITED 2008-07-14 → present
- FIRST ENGINEERING LIMITED 1996-02-15 → 2008-07-14
- SCOTLAND INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE COMPANY LIMITED 1994-12-05 → 1996-02-15
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 101
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Forvis Mazars LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“Following review, the Directors have concluded that the Company has adequate resources to continue as a going concern for at least 12 months from the date of signing these financial statements. The Directors have not identified any material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt upon the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. Thus, they continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the annual financial statements.”
Group structure
- BABCOCK RAIL LIMITED · parent
- Babcock Rail Ireland Limited 100%
- FSP (2004) Limited 50%
- ABC Electrification Limited 33.3%
Significant events
- “Subsequent to the statement of financial position date, the Company secured £47.4m from Network Rail.”
- “Subsequent to the statement of financial position date ABC Electrification Limited was dissolved on the 14th April 2026.”
- “The Company is aware of the 'Virgin Media v NTL Pension Trustees Ltd and others' case and that there is a potential for it to have an impact on the Company's UK pension schemes. The case was appealed and, in a judgment delivered in July 2024, the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court's decision. However, the Company is aware that a further case has been heard in the High Court in 2025 (judgment in respect of which is still awaited) and that such case may provide additional clarity on issues related to the Virgin Media case and its implications for certain schemes and relevant historic amendments.”
- “A contingent liability still remains in respect of any unpaid tax liability. The Company is seeking to mitigate its liability in respect of these deductions as far as possible through the application of Regulation 9(5) with HMRC. The application of Regulation 9(5) is yet to be determined and the liability associated with any unpaid tax liability is unable to be reasonably determined until it has been applied. Furthermore, should a determination of 'reasonable care' be established with HMRC then any liability in respect of unpaid tax will cease to remain. Progress and determination is anticipated to be made across the subsequent year.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
4 active · 53 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BABCOCK CORPORATE SECRETARIES LIMITED | Corporate Secretary | 2013-02-25 | — | — |
| ABBOTT, Matthew Thomas | Director | 2024-11-19 | Mar 1978 | British |
| BELL, Steven John | Director | 2020-09-17 | Mar 1966 | British |
| HALL, Daniel Gareth | Director | 2023-01-09 | Apr 1981 | British |
Show 53 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANDERSON, Craig John | Secretary | 2004-11-06 | 2010-05-07 |
| BILLIALD, Stanley Alan Royall | Secretary | 2004-10-06 | 2009-07-01 |
| BORRETT, Nicholas James William | Secretary | 2012-07-27 | 2013-02-25 |
| HEWETT, Peter Graham | Secretary | 1994-12-05 | 1996-02-14 |
| MCMILLAN, Susan Margaret | Secretary | 1996-06-19 | 2004-11-11 |
| TELLER, Valerie Francine Anne | Secretary | 2009-07-01 | 2012-07-27 |
| WATSON, David John | Secretary | 1996-02-14 | 1996-06-19 |
| ANDERSON, Janette | Director | 2003-06-01 | 2007-12-31 |
| BARBER, Stephen John | Director | 1995-11-14 | 1996-02-14 |
| BELL, Steven John | Director | 2005-08-01 | 2006-06-29 |
| BELL, Steven John | Director | 2004-12-01 | 2005-06-07 |
| BOWIE, Allan | Director | 2007-05-08 | 2008-02-22 |
| BROOKS, Sally Fiona | Director | 2019-05-15 | 2020-09-30 |
| BROOKS, Sally Fiona | Director | 2018-08-01 | 2019-05-15 |
| BROWN, Lindsay Holmes | Director | 2011-11-01 | 2018-08-01 |
| CORNELL, Jim Scott | Director | 1994-12-05 | 1996-02-14 |
| COWIE, John Alexander | Director | 1996-02-14 | 2004-06-04 |
| DAVIES, John Richard | Director | 2019-05-15 | 2019-05-15 |
| DEUCHARS, Colin Macdonald | Director | 2019-06-18 | 2022-06-30 |
| DOHERTY, Shaun, Dr | Director | 2022-05-31 | 2024-09-30 |
| DOUGLAS, Kenneth Malcolm | Director | 2009-06-15 | 2011-11-01 |
| DUFFY, James | Director | 2006-04-26 | 2009-09-19 |
| ESBACH, Pieter | Director | 2015-07-27 | 2019-05-15 |
| FELL, Iain Murdock | Director | 1998-11-30 | 2001-03-02 |
| FORBES, Robert | Director | 2019-05-15 | 2020-09-17 |
| FORBES, Robert | Director | 2005-08-01 | 2019-05-15 |
| FORBES, Robert | Director | 2005-02-21 | 2005-06-07 |
| HAMILTON, William | Director | 1998-03-24 | 2005-01-05 |
| HASTINGS, Gillian Elizabeth | Director | 2005-02-15 | 2006-12-14 |
| HAYWARD, Matthew | Director | 2020-08-03 | 2024-05-24 |
| HEWETT, Peter Graham | Director | 1996-02-14 | 1996-02-14 |
| HOWIE, John Wallace | Director | 2009-06-15 | 2010-11-29 |
| JACKSON, David James | Director | 2002-10-07 | 2004-06-16 |
| MARTINELLI, Franco | Director | 2005-05-11 | 2016-08-31 |
| MILLS, Roger Charles | Director | 1997-09-22 | 2005-02-21 |
| MOY, Gerard | Director | 2006-04-26 | 2019-05-15 |
| NICHOLLS, Richard Charles Alan | Director | 1996-01-19 | 1996-02-14 |
| O`KANE, John Peter | Director | 2002-10-07 | 2004-07-31 |
| PARKER, James Richard | Director | 2020-09-30 | 2023-01-09 |
| PEARSON, Andrew Mitchell | Director | 2007-10-12 | 2009-06-12 |
| RAMSAY, Peter | Director | 1996-02-14 | 2002-10-07 |
| ROBERTSON, Alan Robert | Director | 2002-10-07 | 2005-05-14 |
| ROGERS, Peter Lloyd | Director | 2004-06-16 | 2016-08-31 |
| SCOTT, William Robert | Director | 1996-02-14 | 2002-10-07 |
| SMITH, Anthony John | Director | 1994-12-05 | 2004-03-27 |
| STARK, Primrose Jean Davidson | Director | 1996-02-14 | 2004-06-04 |
| TAME, William | Director | 2004-06-16 | 2014-12-17 |
| TAYLOR, Richard Hewitt | Director | 2019-05-15 | 2019-05-15 |
| URQUHART, Iain Stuart | Director | 2014-12-17 | 2022-05-31 |
| WATSON, David John | Director | 1996-02-14 | 1997-07-31 |
| WEST, Steven | Director | 2019-05-15 | 2019-06-18 |
| WHILEY, Robert Frank | Director | 2010-11-29 | 2015-07-27 |
| WHITE, Samuel Michael | Director | 2019-05-15 | 2020-08-03 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock Support Services (Investments) Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2019-12-18 | Active |
| Scimco Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2019-12-18 |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 241 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-19 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-12-09 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-10-01 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-12-18 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-11-21 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-10-10 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-09-17 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-06-05 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-05-30 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2023-09-12 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-09-02 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-01-09 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2023-01-09 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2022-10-24 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-07-15 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2022-06-06 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2022-06-06 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2021-12-03 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2021-12-03 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2021-12-02 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 3
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.