John Holland expands rail and transport expertise in Australia

John Holland expands rail and transport expertise in Australia

Australian infrastructure and property company John Holland has enhanced its transport capability and capacity with the acquisition of RCR O’Donnell Griffin’s rail and transport business.

John Holland CEO Joe Barr said he was delighted to welcome almost 400 specialised transport employees to the business in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia today, after the successful completion of the transaction which was announced in late December 2018.

“Rail is in our DNA, and we have a strong track record of building, maintaining and operating complex rail projects,” Mr Barr said.

“This acquisition takes our capability and capacity in transport projects to the next level in a way that complements our existing skills and adds new abilities to our team.

“Growing our business in key sectors like transport will allow us to meet our goal to double in size by 2021.

“We are delighted to be joining forces with a transport company that has such a strong reputation and which will allow us to continue to grow,” Mr Barr said.

The acquisition was finalised today and will grow John Holland’s capacity in signalling design and construction, traction power systems including overhead wire as well as mechanical and electrical systems on transport projects.

O’Donnell Griffin has worked in rail since the 1980s and is well respected for its range of services in design, installation, testing and commissioning. Current projects such as South Flank signalling in Western Australia for BHP, and Sydney Metro Northwest for ALSTOM in New South Wales will continue to be delivered by existing teams.

John Holland’s Executive General Manager – Rail, Steve Butcher, said the expansion of signalling and power systems capabilities would create new project opportunities.

“This is an incredible time to be part of the rail industry, with major projects currently underway and on the horizon all over Australia. This acquisition strengthens our ability to be leaders in rail – whether it comes to design and construction, or operations and maintenance,” Mr Butcher said.