Award

Class 150 & 156 Automatic Sanding Modification Upgrade

NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

04 Jun 2025 at 09:48

Award

23 Apr 2025 at 13:47

Award

01 Apr 2025 at 09:45

Summary of the contracting process

Northern Trains Limited, a public authority serving the central government, has completed the procurement process for the "Class 150 & 156 Automatic Sanding Modification Upgrade." The project focuses on the rail industry, specifically targeting maintenance and service vehicles across regions UKC, UKD, and UKE in the United Kingdom. Initiated via a direct award to AtkinsRéalis Rail & Transit Limited, the procurement phase began on 8th May 2025 with an active contract running until 6th November 2026. The modification upgrade follows recommendations from the RAIB report concerning the Salisbury Tunnel Junction collision, aiming to install automatic sanding equipment on Class 150 and 156 fleets to enhance safety and standardise sanding responses under low adhesion conditions.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses within the railway maintenance sector, especially those specialising in safety equipment and software integration. AtkinsRéalis was chosen due to its proprietary rights and expertise in the existing Wheel Slip Protection system, which underscores the importance of possessing intellectual property and technical know-how in securing such projects. Companies with similar capabilities could seek collaborations or sub-contracting opportunities to gain insights and experience, potentially positioning themselves to compete for future projects requiring proprietary technology adaptation and critical safety modifications.

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Notice Title

Class 150 & 156 Automatic Sanding Modification Upgrade

Notice Description

Following the publication of the RAIB report 12/2023 into the Salisbury Tunnel Junction collision of October 2021 and subsequent conclusions, there is direct recommendation to install automatic sanding equipment on all fleets. As such Northern is looking to develop automatic sanding modification on Northern's Cl.150 and Cl.156 fleets. NTL have assessed our fleet and this notice is to direct award an agreement which will see a modification to the already installed WSP system to permit automatic sanding on cl.150 and cl.156 units (qty 288 vehicles all DMS/DMSL). With the exception of Northern's Cl.150 & CL.156 fleets, all fleets are installed with automatic sanding systems that deposit sand onto the railhead under the third axle at a fixed rate, triggered immediately when a unit encounters low adhesion. Where as the 15x fleets are fitted with Single Fixed Rate Sanding systems which further inadequacies of standard SFRS systems were highlighted after the Salisbury collision. The project scope is to: * Modify already fitted SFRS system as to enable automatic sanding across the Class 150s & 156s o Which will improve and standardise sanding response time once a unit has encountered low adhesion conditions and remove the human element. * The modification is planned to have as many units completed before leaf fall 2025 on all Northern Cl.150 and Cl.156 units as to mitigate the risk of further incidents moving forward.

Procurement Information

The purpose of this direct award is to facilitate a critical modification to the hardware and interlinking software of the Wheel Slip Protection (WSP) system currently installed across NTL's 150 and 156 fleets. This modification is essential to enhance the safety and performance of the existing system. Rationale for Direct Award: Proprietary Rights and Expertise: AtkinsRealis (formerly SNC-Lavalin) holds the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) for the WSP solution that was initially installed. The original equipment was fitted between May and September 2020, following funding from Network Rail (NWR) aimed at improving the safety of these units. Given their ownership of the IPR and their deep understanding of the system, AtkinsRealis is uniquely positioned to execute the required modifications. Continuity and Compatibility: The solution being procured through this notice involves further modifications to the existing system. As the original installer and IPR holder, AtkinsRealis possesses the necessary technical knowledge and expertise to ensure seamless integration and compatibility with the current setup. Engaging a different supplier would likely result in significant compatibility issues and potential safety risks.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-04fb19
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/029761-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation


CPV Codes

34621200 - Railway maintenance or service vehicles

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£973,000 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
£973,000 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
4 Jun 20258 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
1 Apr 202510 months ago
Contract Period
7 May 2025 - 6 Nov 2026 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
procurement@northernrailway.co.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
YORK
Postcode
YO1 6JT
Post Town
York
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLE Yorkshire and The Humber
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLE2 North Yorkshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLE21 York
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
York
Electoral Ward
Micklegate
Westminster Constituency
York Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

ATKINSRÉALIS RAIL & TRANSIT

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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