Vossloh AG has announced its firm intention to acquire the British company Cordel Group, which specializes in LiDAR technology and digital solutions for monitoring and optimizing railway infrastructure. With this acquisition, Vossloh is strengthening its growth strategy in the field of digital solutions for the railway sector.
The proposed offer to acquire the shares of Cordel Group, listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange, will be implemented through a court-approved scheme of arrangement under British law. The transaction values Cordel at GBP 29 million (EUR 33 million).
Cordel shareholders are set to receive 12.4 pence (0.14 euro cents) for each share held, and the company’s management intends to unanimously recommend acceptance of the offer. The completion of the transaction is subject to approval by shareholders and the relevant UK authorities and is expected in the third quarter of 2026.
Cordel develops advanced hardware and software technologies for the global railway industry, used to capture, process, and analyze digital images and three-dimensional data from railway corridors. The company uses train-mounted LiDAR systems capable of generating 3D images of the infrastructure and the environment surrounding the railway tracks.
These technologies enable the rapid identification of issues such as deformations in the ballast bed, obstacles within the clearance gauge, or vegetation that may affect electrified lines. The collected data is analyzed using artificial intelligence, which contributes to the automation of infrastructure inspection and maintenance processes.
LiDAR technology and artificial intelligence, increasingly important for railway infrastructure
The solutions developed by Cordel Group are already used by major railway operators and infrastructure managers in the UK, the Middle East, North America, and Australia, including the US operator Amtrak and the UK railway infrastructure manager, Network Rail. The company operates through six subsidiaries in three countries and has 42 employees.
The integration of Cordel’s technologies with the laser inspection systems developed by Vossloh AG will enable the development of automated systems for continuous monitoring of railway infrastructure. In 2025, the two companies had already carried out a joint pilot project in continental Europe to test the compatibility and performance of the integrated solutions.
Vossloh CEO Oliver Schuster stated that the acquisition represents an important opportunity for the company to expand into new markets and strengthen its position in the field of innovative rail services.
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