Total Rail Solutions: Services, Ownership and Current Status
If you are searching for Total Rail Solutions, the first thing to know is that the former UK rail company no longer operates as an independent business. Readypower Group acquired 100% of Total Rail Solutions Limited in October 2023 and subsequently integrated the business into its wider operation. The original UK legal entity is currently listed by Companies House as being in liquidation. There is also a separate Total Rail Solutions in New Zealand, which is active in that country’s rail sector and should not be confused with the former UK company.
That distinction matters whether you are looking for rail plant hire, road-rail vehicles, employment, former TRS contacts or information about the company’s history. Much of the information still visible online dates from before the Readypower acquisition, so this guide explains what Total Rail Solutions did, what happened to it and where UK customers and job seekers should look today.
What Is Total Rail Solutions?
Total Rail Solutions Limited, often shortened to TRS, was a specialist UK rail business associated with on-track plant, road-rail vehicles and operational support for railway projects.
The registered company was incorporated on 31 January 2007. Companies House records show that it was previously named Total Solutions (Southern) Ltd before adopting the Total Rail Solutions Limited name in September 2020.
TRS became particularly associated with specialist equipment and people needed to carry out railway maintenance, renewals and infrastructure work. This included road-rail machinery that could move between conventional ground conditions and railway tracks.
For contractors, that type of service can reduce the need to source machinery, qualified operators and operational planning separately. Railway projects often involve restricted access windows, specialist safety requirements and tightly controlled working environments, so plant provision is not simply a matter of delivering an excavator to a site.
The Former Total Rail Solutions Business in the UK
The UK business served contractors and infrastructure projects requiring specialist railway plant and supporting personnel.
Its former public profiles and industry coverage associated TRS with services such as:
- Road-rail vehicle provision
- Operated rail plant
- Plant Operations Scheme support
- Plant operators
- Railway labour
- Project and site support
- Specialist attachments and equipment
- Rail infrastructure work
Road-rail plant was an especially important part of the company’s identity. These machines give railway teams a flexible way to move materials, carry out excavation, support lifting operations and complete other tasks in locations where ordinary construction machinery cannot simply drive onto the railway.
Total Rail Solutions in New Zealand
A separate company using the Total Rail Solutions name operates in New Zealand.
Its current website describes the organisation as a strategic partnership focused on bringing additional capability and competition to the New Zealand rail sector. The company highlights rail-specific risk management, track-access constraints, Early Contractor Involvement and compliance with KiwiRail requirements.
It also describes itself as a rail participant and states that its aim is to provide a safe, skilled, turn-key solution for KiwiRail-related work.
This New Zealand business should not be treated as the continuation of the former UK Total Rail Solutions Limited. If you are researching suppliers, employment or project history, check the country carefully before relying on a search result.
Is Total Rail Solutions Still Operating in the UK?
No, not as an independent UK rail business.
The clearest public statement appears on the former company’s LinkedIn profile, which says that Total Rail Solutions is no longer operating as a standalone business and has become fully integrated into Readypower.
Readypower itself announced the acquisition on 16 October 2023. According to its announcement, Readypower Group purchased 100% of the share capital of Total Rail Solutions Limited.
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Why Did Readypower Acquire Total Rail Solutions?
Readypower’s acquisition announcement said TRS had faced difficult trading conditions, including project cancellations and a shrinking work bank as the UK rail industry moved towards the end of Control Period 6.
Readypower said its immediate aim was to provide stability and investment while assessing the long-term future of the business and its workforce. The group also said integration work would take place ahead of the next rail control period.
This is useful context because it explains why older TRS pages may disappear or redirect while similar services remain available elsewhere within the Readypower organisation.
What Does the Companies House Liquidation Status Mean?
Companies House currently records Total Rail Solutions Limited, company number 06076007, as being in liquidation. Its insolvency record states that a members’ voluntary liquidation began on 27 June 2024, following a declaration of solvency dated 25 June 2024.
That detail is important.
A members’ voluntary liquidation is not the same thing as a creditors’ voluntary liquidation. UK government guidance explains that an MVL is used when a company is solvent and its directors believe it can pay its debts within the required period.
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So it would be misleading simply to say that Total Rail Solutions “collapsed” because it appears under liquidation on Companies House. The sequence is more specific: Readypower acquired the company in 2023, its operations were integrated, and the original legal entity later entered a members’ voluntary liquidation.
What Services Did Total Rail Solutions Provide?
The exact mix of services changed over time, but TRS was best known for specialist rail plant and the people and processes required to use that equipment on railway projects.
Road-Rail Vehicle and Rail Plant Hire
A road-rail vehicle, normally abbreviated to RRV, is a vehicle capable of operating on normal ground or roads and also travelling on railway track using a rail-wheel guidance system.
Network Rail uses this definition in its rail terminology guidance.
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RRVs are useful because railway maintenance sites are often difficult to reach using conventional construction plant. A road-rail excavator, for example, can reach an access point before being configured to move along the railway.
Depending on the machine and attachment, RRVs may support tasks such as:
- Moving railway materials
- Excavation
- Vegetation work
- Lifting
- Handling sleepers
- Supporting track renewals
- Delivering equipment along the railway
- Infrastructure installation
The exact machine and working method must be suitable for the task, site and railway safety requirements.
Operated and Non-Operated Plant
One distinction users may encounter is between operated plant and equipment supplied without an operator.
With operated plant, the supplier provides both the specialist machine and a competent operator. This is especially valuable in rail because operating an RRV on infrastructure involves different requirements from using an ordinary excavator on a conventional building site.
Providing plant together with experienced personnel can also simplify planning for contractors that need specialist capabilities for a short engineering possession or a particular stage of a project.
Plant Operations Scheme Services
You may also see POS when researching Total Rail Solutions or Readypower vacancies.
In this context, POS refers to arrangements for the safe planning and operation of on-track plant. A rail contractor cannot simply put heavy machinery onto a railway and begin working. The plant, operators, working methods and site arrangements need to fit the applicable railway rules and project controls.
Current Readypower vacancies demonstrate that POS remains part of the group’s activities, including roles for POS representatives alongside RRV operators.
Labour and Operational Support
A specialist railway plant supplier depends on more than machinery.
TRS was also associated with people capable of supporting railway operations, including operators, controllers, site personnel and management staff.
This helps explain why people searching for “Total Rail Solutions jobs” may still encounter old profiles covering a wide variety of railway roles rather than plant hire alone.
RRV, OTP and POS Explained
Rail terminology can make supplier websites difficult to understand if you do not work in the industry every day.
What Is an RRV?
An RRV, or road-rail vehicle, is equipment designed to work both off-track and on railway track.
Network Rail’s terminology describes it as a vehicle able to travel on the road under its own power and on rails through a rail-wheel guidance system.
This flexibility makes RRVs useful for railway construction and maintenance work where equipment needs to enter through a limited access point and then travel along the railway.
What Does OTP Mean?
OTP usually means on-track plant.
It is a broad term covering specialist machinery used on or around railway infrastructure. Depending on the project, that can include excavators, lifting equipment, mobile elevating work platforms and other rail-capable machinery.
The critical issue is not simply what the machine can do. It must also be compatible with the railway environment, the planned work and the safety system being used.
What Is POS?
A Plant Operations Scheme provides an organised framework around the planning and operation of on-track plant.
For a contractor, this can involve making sure the correct plant, people, documentation and operational controls are in place before equipment is used.
If you are comparing rail plant suppliers, asking about the machine alone is therefore not enough. You also need to understand who is responsible for operational planning, competence, site arrangements and plant management.
Total Rail Solutions and Readypower
The acquisition is the main reason anyone researching TRS today should also understand Readypower.
Readypower described the October 2023 transaction as the purchase of all TRS share capital, followed by a planned integration into its group. The former TRS company profile subsequently confirmed that the business had become fully integrated.
What Happened to TRS Services?
Former TRS customers should not assume that every individual service, employee, machine or commercial arrangement transferred unchanged.
What is clear is that Readypower continues to operate extensively within specialist rail plant and infrastructure services.
Its current recruitment pages include positions for RRV operators, POS representatives and rail plant engineering staff, showing clear overlap with the types of activities for which TRS had been known.
If your goal is to hire plant or obtain railway support that TRS previously supplied, Readypower is therefore the logical place to check first.
What Should Former TRS Customers Do?
If you have an old Total Rail Solutions contact, quotation, project reference or supplier record:
- Check when the document was issued.
- Confirm whether it predates the October 2023 acquisition.
- Do not assume old telephone numbers or email addresses remain active.
- Contact Readypower directly for current UK service availability.
- Confirm which Readypower legal entity will provide the service before issuing purchase orders or contracts.
That last point is particularly useful for procurement teams because an historic Total Rail Solutions company name should not automatically be copied into a new supplier agreement.
Total Rail Solutions Jobs and Careers
Employment searches are another area where outdated information can cause confusion.
Indeed still hosts a Total Rail Solutions company page containing historic reviews, salaries, interview questions and job-title information. However, an exact search for Total Rail Solutions vacancies does not necessarily return jobs with the former company.
Can You Still Apply to Total Rail Solutions UK?
You should not treat the former TRS business as an active independent employer.
If you are interested in similar work, check Readypower’s current careers page instead. At the time of research, Readypower advertised rail-sector roles including RRV operators, POS representatives and a service engineer/fitter.
Vacancies change frequently, so always check the employer’s current listings rather than relying on an old job-board page.
Common Roles Associated With TRS
Historic employee and recruitment information mentions roles such as:
- RRV plant operator
- Controller
- Railway worker
- Site lead
- Team leader
- Truck driver
- Yard manager
- Administrative and management roles
Indeed’s historic TRS profile still lists many of these job categories.
Working Hours and Working Away
Railway plant jobs can involve unusual working patterns because major maintenance often happens when lines are closed to normal train traffic.
Older TRS employee feedback discusses both long and short shifts, and one plant operator specifically mentioned working away from home regularly.
That should not be treated as a guarantee of present Readypower working conditions. It does, however, highlight useful questions to ask before accepting a rail plant position:
- How often will I work nights or weekends?
- How much travel is required?
- Will accommodation be provided when working away?
- Is travel time paid?
- Is the role permanent, zero-hours or project-based?
- What rail competencies are required?
- Who pays for renewals of required qualifications?
Total Rail Solutions Reviews and Employee Feedback
Historic reviews for TRS are generally positive, but the sample is small.
Indeed currently displays seven reviews and shows comments concerning management, pay, equipment, work-life balance and working away.
The biggest mistake would be to treat those reviews as a description of the workplace today.
They relate to the former TRS organisation, often several years before the Readypower acquisition. Management structures, employment contracts, depots and operating practices may have changed.
Use historic reviews to identify questions to ask, not to predict exactly what your employment experience will be.
Total Rail Solutions and Sustainability
TRS also received rail-industry attention for changing the type of fuel used in its plant.
In 2021, Rail Engineer reported that Total Rail Solutions was moving its plant fleet towards HVO, or hydrotreated vegetable oil, as an alternative to conventional diesel.
Why Was HVO Relevant?
Rail plant presents a particular decarbonisation challenge.
Large specialist machines need reliable power for demanding work, often in locations where connecting directly to an electrical supply is unrealistic. Alternative fuels can therefore offer a way of reducing certain emissions without immediately replacing every diesel-powered machine.
However, sustainability claims should be assessed carefully. The environmental impact of HVO depends on factors including the feedstock, production pathway, transport and supply chain.
The useful question is not simply, “Does this machine run on HVO?” It is, “What fuel is being used, where does it come from, and how is its environmental benefit measured?”
Total Rail Solutions New Zealand
People landing on the New Zealand Total Rail Solutions website may reasonably assume they have found the UK company’s international division. The available evidence points to a separate New Zealand-focused operation.
Its website presents Total Rail Solutions as a strategic partnership for the New Zealand rail sector, with an explicit focus on KiwiRail, track access and the obligations of a rail participant.
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What Does the New Zealand Company Do?
The company emphasises:
- Rail infrastructure delivery
- Rail-specific risk management
- Early Contractor Involvement
- Technical and financial project planning
- Track-access management
- Safety
- Project performance
- KiwiRail requirements
Its stated vision is to become a preferred rail partner able to provide a turn-key solution for KiwiRail.
How to Tell the Two Companies Apart
A simple check usually resolves the confusion.
Former UK Total Rail Solutions
- Connected with the UK rail plant sector
- Acquired by Readypower in October 2023
- No longer operates independently
- UK legal entity is in members’ voluntary liquidation
Total Rail Solutions New Zealand
- New Zealand-focused rail infrastructure business
- Maintains an active New Zealand website
- Discusses KiwiRail and New Zealand rail legislation
- Has current management and contact information on its website
If an article mixes these details together, treat it cautiously.
Problems People Face When Researching Total Rail Solutions
Outdated Company Profiles
Search engines do not automatically remove a company’s old recruitment pages, directories and social profiles after an acquisition.
That means you may find a page describing TRS as an active employer even though its former company profile says it no longer operates independently.
Check the publication date and compare the information with Companies House and the acquiring company’s current website.
Confusing Liquidation With Business Failure
Seeing “Liquidation” on Companies House can make it sound as if TRS suddenly failed after the acquisition.
The record is more nuanced. Companies House identifies the process specifically as a members’ voluntary liquidation and records a declaration of solvency. UK government guidance describes an MVL as a process for solvent companies.
Treating Old Job Listings as Current Vacancies
An old TRS job page may still appear in search results even though the independent business no longer exists.
Always verify the vacancy directly with the current employer before sending personal information or assuming that employment terms are still valid.
Confusing the UK and New Zealand Companies
Because both use the exact phrase Total Rail Solutions, generic searches can return information about either organisation.
Adding a geographic modifier helps:
- Total Rail Solutions UK
- Total Rail Solutions Readypower
- Total Rail Solutions New Zealand
- Total Rail Solutions KiwiRail
This is especially useful when researching contracts, directors, careers or contact details.
How to Research Total Rail Solutions Safely
If you need reliable company information rather than general background, follow this order:
- Check the country first. Decide whether you mean the former UK TRS or the New Zealand business.
- Check the date. Information published before October 2023 may describe the old UK structure.
- Verify the UK legal entity at Companies House.
- Use Readypower for current UK service and career enquiries.
- Use the New Zealand company’s official site for NZ enquiries.
- Treat employee reviews as historical context rather than current employment policy.
- Verify contracts, qualifications, prices and service availability directly before making a commercial decision.
The main takeaway is simple: Total Rail Solutions remains a useful search term, but it no longer identifies one straightforward, active UK company. Understanding the acquisition, liquidation status and separate New Zealand business prevents most of the confusion surrounding the name.
FAQs
Is Total Rail Solutions still trading in the UK?
Not as an independent business. Its former LinkedIn profile states that TRS was acquired by Readypower and fully integrated into Readypower’s operations. The UK legal entity remains listed at Companies House as being in liquidation.
Who owns Total Rail Solutions UK?
Readypower Group acquired 100% of Total Rail Solutions Limited’s share capital on 16 October 2023.
Why is Total Rail Solutions listed as being in liquidation?
The UK legal entity entered a members’ voluntary liquidation on 27 June 2024. This type of liquidation is designed for a company that has declared itself solvent and is being wound up formally.
Where should former Total Rail Solutions customers go now?
For UK rail plant, RRV, POS and related infrastructure requirements, Readypower is the most relevant business to check because TRS was integrated into the Readypower Group.
Can I still apply for Total Rail Solutions jobs?
You should not rely on old TRS vacancy pages. Readypower maintains a current jobs section with rail positions including RRV operator, POS representative and engineering roles when vacancies are available.
Is Total Rail Solutions New Zealand the same company?
No. The New Zealand Total Rail Solutions website presents a separate New Zealand-focused strategic partnership working in the country’s rail sector and with KiwiRail requirements.
What is an RRV in rail?
An RRV is a road-rail vehicle, meaning specialist equipment capable of travelling off-track and also operating on railway rails using a rail guidance system.
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