ONE of Andover’s biggest and best known employers has won a new 10-year contract in the rail industry maintaining lifts across the network.

Stannah first won the contract in 1995, extended it in 2004, and now has the job until 2024. The new contract is worth about £35m.

The company has also gained a contract for the comprehensive programme of lift modernisation for Docklands Light Railway (DLR), part of Transport for London. This contract will see the replacement of 20 existing lift cars with new, energy-saving equipment to DLR’s latest specification and 29 replacements of lift doors on landings and lift cars.

The whole programme of DLR works is over 18 months with a value of £675,000.

Jon Stannah, joint managing director of Stannah Lift Services, said: “Our work within the rail sector has grown significantly in the last ten years.

“Our renewed contract with Network Rail and a further contract with DLR will mean our engineers will be working day and night, in order to prevent downtime for the thousands of railway travellers across the network every day.”

The number of units for maintenance is currently about 950 lifts but this is forecast to grow significantly within the contract period as Network Rail continues to modernise stations.