Network Rail

WHAT: Working alongside Atos to provide Property Expertise to Network Rail’s digitisation programme

WHY: Network Rail’s need to adapt to market challenges and optimise its property portfolio’s performance

WHEN: 2020 - 2023

A digital vision for Network Rail Property

As part of a wider Digital Transformation Programme, Network Rail set out an ambitious plan to digitise its property division, responsible for managing land and commercial assets, including retail in 19 of the UK’s largest stations. With an annual income of over £217 million, the goal was to reimagine how its teams work, manage assets, and serve internal and external stakeholders.

Remit Consulting partnered with digital consultancy Atos to deliver a three-month discovery phase and define a roadmap for transformation. Following its success, both organisations are now delivering a full three-year programme to bring that vision to life.

““Remit understands what ‘good’ looks like in the property world from a business point of view,

“I would wholeheartedly recommend Remit for this kind of transformational project within the property sector.” ”

— David Blount, Atos

Four goals to future-proof the business

Led by Vince Herrera-Leon, Head of Digital Services (Property) at Network Rail, the digital strategy focused on four core ambitions:

Enable digital stations: Leverage AI and CCTV to identify passengers who may need assistance, such as wheelchair users or those carrying luggage, and improve the overall customer experience.
Become a digital landlord: Digitally enhance lease, rent, budgeting, forecasting and financial management processes to increase performance and reduce risk.
Create a digital workplace: Enable smart buildings, optimise space use, and improve how teams collaborate across the organisation.
Empower digital employees: Use automation and AI to help employees work more efficiently and focus on high-value tasks.

A partnership built on complementary strengths

Atos brought digital transformation experience, while Remit contributed deep domain knowledge in real estate and property technology.

“We’d worked with Remit previously at TfL and thought they would be a good fit for this project,” said David Blount, Atos’ UK Transport Consulting Lead. “We have expertise in IT, and Remit brings specialist insight into property management and proptech.”

Remit’s team included Chartered Surveyor Charles Woollam, property technology expert Joel Suissa, former British Land CIO Peter Earl, and Partner Andrew Waller. This blend of digital and property expertise proved key to early success.

Understanding the business through discovery

Starting in January 2021, Remit and Atos ran a structured discovery process. This included eight thematic workshops with Network Rail staff across roles—surveyors, finance, legal, business support and technology—to explore existing processes, map roles and responsibilities, and capture pain points and improvement opportunities.

Using the Remit Process Model, the team identified priority areas and drafted a roadmap that set the course for transformation. Key discovery objectives included improving efficiency, clarifying responsibilities, and aligning best-practice processes to Network Rail’s unique needs.

Building trust through expertise

From the outset, Remit’s deep understanding of property operations helped win trust.

“Remit’s consultants could talk confidently about the tools on the market,” said Vince Herrera-Leon. “It was a master stroke that they brought Charles to the pitch—as a surveyor, he spoke the same language as our team.”

David Blount added: “Having Remit on board reassured the client that we understood their challenges and could deliver what they needed.”

Andrew Waller of Remit noted, “In any real estate project, we know which areas generate the most value, such as arrears management, rent adjustments and service charge operations. We focused on those areas early to create momentum.”

Driving engagement and ownership

Remit and Atos also recognised the importance of bringing Network Rail’s people along on the journey.

“This wasn’t the first attempt at digital transformation within the property function,” said Joel Suissa of Remit. “To avoid change fatigue, we put in place a clear engagement strategy with Atos’ change management team.”

Product owners were appointed to system improvement areas, giving them ownership and involvement. As a result, programme leads reported strong buy-in and enthusiasm from across the property business.

Tangible benefits identified

The discovery phase surfaced significant potential benefits, both financial and non-financial:

Improved safety and compliance
Enhanced productivity through better tools and streamlined processes
Reduced compliance risk
Cashflow gains from earlier receipt and processing of payments
Increased income via more accurate rent, service charge and insurance billing
Improved staff satisfaction, aiming to lift employee sentiment from ~40% to 70%
Stronger data assurance aligned with Network Rail’s Information Management Programme

Moving into implementation

With a successful discovery phase complete, the team has now moved into implementation. Key initiatives included:

Automation of workflows using Microsoft PowerAutomate to support compliance and diligence
Enhanced business intelligence through Power BI
Use of AI for financial reconciliation
Integration of a new centralised budgeting and forecasting system
Selection and piloting of a digital inspections solution
Specification of a new CRM system and a tenant portal
Process automation across the Horizon and Office 365 platforms

A transformation long in the making

““The Finance Director told us they’d been trying to get this off the ground for 11 years, and we got it moving in just three months.”

“I hope our partnership with Remit continues to go from strength to strength. I would wholeheartedly recommend them for any transformational project in the property sector.””