Today, the business operates as Global Rail Australia alongside GRA Networks—two brands that reflect a broad scope of services inside and outside the rail corridor. However, as Holloway explains, that dual-brand structure is also driving the company’s next major milestone: a planned rebrand and new website rollout targeted for Q2 2026, designed to unify the offering under a single name and reduce market confusion. FROM IRELAND AND THE UK TO AUSTRALIA’S RAIL AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORRIDORS Holloway’s infrastructure roots trace back to 2001, when he and a UK-based business partner, Marco Lombardelli, launched Global Rail Services in Ireland and Global Rail Construction in the UK. Over time, those businesses grew significantly and ultimately changed hands in 2023, when part of the group was sold—prompting the Australian business to move forward as a standalone operation under the Global Rail Australia and GRA Networks banners. Australia entered the picture through a client-driven opportunity. After delivering a light rail system in Ireland—the Luas—Holloway’s team was approached by an international signalling contractor seeking support for work in Western Australia. That request laid the groundwork for Global Rail Australia, initiated in 2012 and operational by 2013. The timing, however, proved challenging. A decline in iron ore prices in WA impacted the original project path, forcing a pivotal strategic decision. “We came at the wrong time,” Holloway notes. “We had mobilized, had staff ready—and then had to decide: fight or fly.” They chose to move Leveraging contacts and resources already established in Australia, the company shifted operations to Victoria, where it began building momentum through station works, rail corridor infrastructure support, and associated systems delivery—work that would later expand into a multidivision capability. EXPANDING BEYOND RAIL: TELECOMMUNICATIONS, BUILDINGS, ELECTRICAL, AND ENERGY WORK While rail remains central, the company’s growth has been shaped by diversification that complements corridor-based delivery. Alongside rail infrastructure, the team launched GRA Networks to deliver telecommunications works— 55 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 08, ISSUE 02 GLOBAL RAIL AUSTRALIA AND GRA NETWORKS
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