ROWE HANKINS KEEPING THE RAIL INDUSTRY ON TRACK
WITH THE COMPANY’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY FAST APPROACHING, ROWE HANKINS IS DEVELOPING INTO A BESPOKE SOLUTIONS PROVIDER ADDING VALUE ACROSS THE RAIL INDUSTRY.
KEEPING THE RAIL INDUSTRY ON TRACK
PROJECT MANAGED BY: JEREMY DAVIES
The rail sector is constantly evolving, and for almost four decades now, Rowe Hankins has been evolving alongside it. Thanks to a culture of continuous improvement, the organisation has grown from a specialist distributor and manufacturer into one of the UK’s leading suppliers to the global railway industry.
We’re an electrical engineering business at heart,” explains CEO David Owen. “Our focus is on supplying components – from breakers to relays –into rolling stock for the rail network.”
The scale of Rowe Hankins’ customer base is vast, and the organisation serves some of the rail industry’s biggest players. More than just a supplier of products though, the company has moved from components sales & distribution into system solutions: full turnkey packages, such as intelligent wheel flange lubrication systems that allow for better ride performance.
“These particular wheel flange systems not only lubricate the wheel set, which obviously gives it the traction it needs to prevent wear and tear, but there is top of the rail adhesion as well,” David states. “It took a lot of software development, but it’s very bespoke and can be adapted to become an intelligent or basic
system depending on the client. Some customers purchase the wheel flange lubrication system and integrate it with their own software, so it’s a highly flexible application.”
WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE AND COLLABORATE
Rowe Hankins’ system solution offering also includes overspeed protection systems. The organisation has deployed such systems for major tram networks around the UK & Europe, where they play an important role in protecting passengers.
“Our overspeed protection system is a safety/driver advisory system that monitors speed and can activate a driver alarm, or even apply the brakes, if speed is too high,” David says. “That system is active on Metro Tenerife and will soon be present and running live in a major UK city’s tram network. Following successful implementation of the latter, we are now in communication with
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a manufacturer to integrate our overspeed protection system into every new tram they build.”
As David suggests, one key to Rowe Hankins’ success has been the organisation’s willingness to communicate and collaborate with customers. Working closely with its clients, Rowe Hankins has become adept at producing tailored solutions for bespoke requirements.
“We say to our clients, ‘What is causing you problems? What would make your life a lot easier?’ Then we listen to the answer and create a solution to fit the request,” David reveals.
“From there, we explore whether that solution can be productised and industrialised on the wider market.”
Rowe Hankins has built a reputation for supporting its customers in innovative ways, with many major brands asking the organisation to serve as a sales agent or dedicated
engineering partner. In an increasingly digital age, data recording and connectivity solutions have become a central part of the company’s offering too, but David believes Rowe Hankins will always primarily be a component manufacturer.
“At present, we sell components into over 45 countries, with 85% of our activity being export, but with the current UK Government looking to bring more train companies under its control, we could see an increase in UK opportunities going forward. A more nationalised rail system could provide a better sense of longevity in terms of ordering and budgeting, which would be a boost for our prospects at home.”
NICHE ENGINEERING CAPABILITIES
An emphasis on innovation, collaboration, and niche engineering capabilities continue to help Rowe Hankins stand out from its competitors in a crowded market. While there might be larger organisations performing similar work, Rowe Hankins has exhibited a greater level of flexibility and specialism on almost every occasion.
“Bigger companies than us tend to have solutions, but they often come with a huge price tag and don’t necessarily tick all the boxes,” David asserts. “At Rowe Hankins, we can develop and adapt designs in line with client demands before building a solution, testing it, getting it approved, and then, finally, overseeing its full manufacture.”
With orders regularly arriving from Australia to Canada, the USA to India, Rowe Hankins is expecting to see its turnover double over the course of the next year and a half. If 2026 does, indeed, facilitate such significant growth, it will be a fitting way to celebrate the company’s 40th year in the industry.
“It’s a real milestone for the business,” David says of the anniversary. “The fact we have been here for 40 years shows our resilience and natural ability to overcome challenges and take the business forward.
“It is an exciting time to be part of the Rowe Hankins team. We’re getting ready to celebrate four decades of success, but we also have a strong pipeline of upcoming work, with more opportunities on the way, so the future looks very bright.”
ADDING VALUE
While Rowe Hankins is proud to have been active for 40 years, the organisation is showing no signs of slowing
down. Within the next seven years, David would like to see the company treble in size, all while transforming the railway experience in countries across the world.
“If you take the UK as an example, the nation has a lot of aging rolling stock, but we have seen a large number of trains updated in recent years when it comes to the likes of CCTV and passenger information systems,” David remarks. “Government regulations are also leading more companies to build their trains in the UK, which only serves to strengthen the domestic market and create more demand for our products and services.”
Building on its successful and well-established components range, Rowe Hankins now hopes to grow its systems
solutions offering, adding value and becoming a trusted partner to its clients. Backed by a recently reinforced technical sales team, the company is confident that its electrical engineering skillset can further benefit the global rail industry in a meaningful way.
“Our technical sales team are all qualified engineers, and they can recommend and package the right products into valuable solutions,” David notes. “Trains rack up millions of miles in their lifetime, but rather than our customers having to buy new units, we can repair, refurbish, test, and recertify the required parts. Our future is not just about products on the shelf; it is about reducing cost for our clients, finding them the best solutions, and, ultimately, adding value.”
