We help organisations plan, procure, manage, and deliver complex infrastructure and public sector programmes across New Zealand, Australia, Asia and the Pacific.
ConnectVT Consulting is an infrastructure advisory, strategy, procurement and delivery consultancy. We connect planning, funding, procurement, governance, stakeholders and implementation, so that strategy becomes something that gets built and works. Transport is a core area of expertise, alongside structures, asset management, economics and programme delivery.
The company is led by two directors: Varghese Thomas, a Chartered Professional Engineer with senior client-side and consultancy experience across major infrastructure, public transport, asset planning and development projects, and Anandu U, a Lead Structural and Bridge Engineer with international experience on bridges, tunnels, rail viaducts and transport structures.
We combine experienced client-side leadership with a network of senior specialists in asset management, economics, public transport, rail systems, and engineering. Our clients gain a single point of accountability and access to the right expertise at every stage of a project, without the complexity of managing multiple consultants.
From strategy and business cases through procurement, engineering and programme delivery, we support clients at every stage and across every discipline the job needs.
Fundable, evidence-based business cases and strategies structured to meet NZTA and government investment requirements.
Economic and financial appraisal to the standards of NZTA and the multilateral development banks.
Strategic advice that connects long-term planning, asset condition and practical investment decisions.
Client-side leadership that keeps complex programmes on track, on budget and accountable.
Defensible, fit-for-purpose procurement from strategy through to contract award and management.
Structured, inclusive engagement that brings the right people together and builds consensus.
Evidence-based transport and public transport advice for development, infrastructure and network projects.
Rail and metro systems expertise for agencies and major delivery programmes.
Independent structural design, assessment and verification to New Zealand and Australian standards.
Our network has delivered feasibility, appraisal, due diligence and advisory assignments for multilateral and bilateral funders across Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
Experience shown is that of our directors and network specialists across their careers, including prior and concurrent roles.
From the first business case to the last contract, we keep the focus on practical outcomes for communities, customers and funders.
A selection of engagements spanning strategy, business cases, procurement, transport assessment and programme delivery.
Project management and local coordination for the new regional road safety strategy and action plan. The work covers stakeholder liaison with territorial authorities, Police, KiwiRail and NZTA, facilitated Road Safety Forums, elected-member workshops, and a coordinated action plan that draws in initiatives already planned by councils.
Led the review of regional fare policy covering fare zones, youth fares and fare capping, SuperGold, Te Huia, on-demand services, transfers and readiness for the National Ticketing Solution. Delivered the consultation programme, engagement material and statutory timeline, and analysed public submissions to support Council's decisions.
Assessed the region's six stock truck effluent disposal facilities, tracing history, funding and legal arrangements, current and forecast operating costs, and operational gaps. Developed and compared four future management options and a recommendations pathway, alongside contract management and funding-agreement support with NZTA and territorial authorities.
Lead traffic engineer for the traffic study and options assessment on recurring closures of a rural river ford on The Lake Road, Canterbury. Assessed users and destinations, detour routes, additional travel, emissions and fuel use, and network resilience, building the transport case for improving the crossing's reliability within the district council's options assessment.
Traffic modelling and trip generation for a Traffic Impact Assessment prepared under Fiji Roads Authority guidance. Scope includes the survey brief, a trip generation method combining published rates with a first-principles build-up, SIDRA models for three junctions across opening and future-year scenarios, a gate queue-storage assessment, and SIDRA training for the local team.
Andrew leads the multi-criteria analysis of airport upgrade options for the feasibility study, supporting a transparent, evidence-based comparison of options against the funder's investment criteria.
Andrew prepared a national transport strategy covering airports, maritime access and modal shift, using multi-criteria optioneering and community engagement to set priorities for a small island state with high dependence on air and sea links.
Anandu carried out the construction design check and independent structural verification of a 27.5 m single-span bridge carrying State Highway 29A over the East Coast Main Trunk rail line. The work covered flexural, shear, torsion and serviceability checks on 12 precast pretensioned Super-T girders and the deck slab to the NZTA Bridge Manual, AS/NZS 5100 and NZS 3101.
Anandu led the structural design of cut-and-cover tunnels for a major leisure and entertainment destination, including 3D plate finite element models of multi-cell box tunnels with skewed junctions. The work included hydrocarbon fire-resistance checks on concrete thickness and cover.
Major infrastructure delivery experience on New Zealand's largest transport project, supporting systems engineering requirements across multiple design packages. Developed seven system specification documents, verification registers, and design compliance reviews that strengthened assurance, traceability, and delivery confidence.
Led client-side delivery of a 30-year public transport investment business case for one of New Zealand's most complex tourism-driven transport environments. Coordinated multi-disciplinary consultants, reviewed option development, managed quality and budget, and prepared board and public consultation material to support long-term investment decisions.
Directed the statutory mid-term review of the 10-year Regional Land Transport Plan, aligning councils, partner agencies, workshops, hearing processes, and legislative requirements. Delivered an adopted regional investment roadmap that supports prioritisation and future NZTA funding access across Otago and Southland.
Supported the strategic investment case for Auckland's rail network to 2050, providing project management, document control, data coordination, and multi-agency liaison. Helped progress a programme business case that established the strategic justification for prioritised rail investment across the region.
Provided integrated advisory and project management support across regional transport planning, public transport policy review, statutory compliance, procurement guidance, contract management, stakeholder workshops, and funding agreement development, helping translate policy obligations into practical delivery actions.
Acted as owner interface for major Auckland growth corridor business cases, reviewing engineering and planning outputs, aligning alliance delivery with client objectives, and managing scope, contracts, and board reporting. Supported decision-ready business case material for complex multi-party growth infrastructure programmes.
Provided traffic engineering advisory for Australia's largest single-owner residential development, a 2,310-hectare masterplanned community. Delivered SIDRA modelling, first-principles trip generation, staging analysis, and intersection performance assessments to inform infrastructure sequencing and development approvals.
Led development of a 20-30 year integrated transport strategy for the Ovens Murray region, translating regional growth, access, safety, freight, and land-use needs into strategic options and implementation direction. Balanced state and regional partner priorities to produce decision-ready strategy documentation.
Managed end-to-end procurement for a 200-stop public transport infrastructure audit, from scope definition and governance setup through RFT documentation, technical specifications, NZTA-qualified tender evaluation, supplier negotiation, and contract award. Delivered a defensible procurement process aligned with public sector requirements.
Two directors lead every engagement. Senior specialists from our trusted network join where a project needs deeper expertise, which lets us scale without losing senior attention.

Director & Principal Consultant
Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) and NZTA Qualified Tender Evaluator with senior client-side and consultancy experience across major infrastructure, public transport, procurement and asset planning in New Zealand and Australia.

Director & Lead Structural and Bridge Engineer
Structural and bridge engineer with Tier-1 consultancy experience on bridges, viaducts, tunnels, rail structures and stations across New Zealand, Australia, the Middle East, India and the USA.
Transport economist for due diligence on a 17.2 km metro line in Bangladesh.
Led development of the city's mobility plan and BRT, cycling and urban rail schemes.
Team Leader for national land and maritime transport policy, leading a team of twelve specialists.
Lead transport economist on climate-resilient bridge and jetty reconstruction.
Structural design of arch and box tunnels for mega-project infrastructure.
Led systems engineering and integration across multiple organisations and contracts.
Financial and economic lead for a US$300 million upgrade of rolling stock, signalling, stations and depots.
Technical advice on bus, BRT, active and e-mobility schemes across 15 countries.
Led the land use and transport team, and took the region's first BRT scheme from feasibility to Ministerial approval.
Independent verification of high-speed rail viaducts, multi-span superstructures and foundations.
Compared bus rapid transit, light rail and trackless tram options for a rapid transit link to Western Sydney Airport.
Design lead for a 200 m clip-on walkway, with Level 1–3 assessment of the existing rail bridge.
Whether you have a specific project in mind or want to explore how we might help, we'd like to hear from you. We work with councils, government agencies, developers, development partners and consulting firms across New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific.