Historical Railways Estate 2027 - Works Framework

NATIONAL HIGHWAYS LIMITED

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Planning

19 Jun 2026 at 14:05

PlanningUpdate

19 May 2026 at 13:54

Planning

15 May 2025 at 10:59

Summary of the contracting process

National Highways Limited is overseeing a planned procurement process for the "Historical Railways Estate 2027 - Works Framework," focusing on the maintenance and enhancement of the Historical Railways Estate. This initiative encompasses the preservation, repair, and restoration of over 3,100 historical railway structures spread across England, Scotland, and Wales, with an emphasis on works such as demolition, waterproofing, masonry, metal treatment, and emergency safety responses. The procurement is currently in the planning stage with pre-market engagement underway, seeking industry insights by 10th July 2026, as per the scheduled deadline. The formal tender is anticipated to be advertised by 31st July 2026, with the contract expected to commence on 25th August 2027 and extend to 24th August 2034. The tender is classified under the "works" category and contains suitable opportunities for SMEs through a framework agreement structure.

This procurement process presents lucrative opportunities for businesses specialising in construction, engineering, and historical restoration, providing a platform to showcase expertise in maintaining historical railway structures. Companies with capabilities in major works such as demolition and protective treatments, as well as those offering rapid emergency response services, would find this engagement particularly beneficial. National Highways is in search of competitive suppliers capable of offering innovative, efficient solutions to ensure the preservation and safety of vital UK infrastructure. This tender allows businesses to establish or expand their footprint in the public sector by collaborating on a high-profile national project, promising substantial growth potential in both the short and long term.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Historical Railways Estate 2027 - Works Framework

Notice Description

Replacement contract for the existing Historical Railways Estate Works Framework which expires in 2027. The Historical Railways Estate (HRE) is a collection of over 3,100 structures and assets which were once part of Britain's rail network, with many structures that are over 100 years old. These structures reside within England, Scotland & Wales. Once managed by BRB (Residuary) Limited, which was dissolved in 2013, National Highways has been responsible for looking after these structures on behalf of the Department for Transport (DfT) since September 2013. The Estate is made up of a wide variety of structures and other assets that National Highways is required to maintain and make safe, so the work generally involves repairs, strengthening, restoration and cyclical maintenance/surveys/inspections. National Highways cannot provide these services in-house and therefore is required to outsource these activities to compliant suppliers. Further Details relating to HRE is available on the National Highways website: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-work/historical-railways-estate/about-the-hre/ Scope of Works includes: Major: - Demolition - Waterproofing - Masonry brickwork and stonework repairs - Repair and protective treatment of metallic structures Minor: - Clearance of vegetation - Masonry brickwork and stonework repairs and pointing - Stabilisation of loose masonry - Providing safety or security fencing - Reactive response to unauthorised access Emergency Response: - The ability to attend site within 4 hours - Make the site safe and carry out minor repairs - Bridge strikes/crashes, flooding, storm damage etc.

Planning Information

National Highways is undertaking pre-market engagement to help inform the future re-procurement of the Historical Railway Estate (HRE) Works Framework. The purpose of this engagement is to seek feedback from the market on potential procurement and delivery approaches, including framework structure, lotting and commercial considerations. This engagement is for information gathering purposes only and does not form part of any formal procurement process. Any future procurement activity will be advertised openly in line with public sector procurement requirements. Information contained in this notice and any additional documents may be subject to change including any subsequent procurement activity. The information collated from this questionnaire will be used only for the purpose described here and information will be held securely. Suppliers are requested to provide responses to the questions via Microsoft Forms and can provide additional information if relevant. Please do not provide additional sales or marketing literature. Please note, in order to bid for any National Highways contract you must be registered on the Central Digital Platform, as well as our own National Highways e-Sourcing platform. Guidance on how to register for our e-Sourcing platform is contained within the OneDrive folder. Please access the questions via this link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/CmtndrZqcE The form will close at 17:00 Friday 10th July 2026. Supplementary information can be found at the following OneDrive area: https://highways.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/NationalHighwaysProcurement-MaterialforExternalRelease/IgDhLKaU4LfnS6AdxIqLdf9EAZsBNeX8LDeJ_uqnOBelIR0?e=ngqUem

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05142f
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058188-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Works
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

45 - Construction work

50 - Repair and maintenance services


CPV Codes

45221110 - Bridge construction work

45221111 - Road bridge construction work

45221112 - Railway bridge construction work

45221113 - Footbridge construction work

45221114 - Construction work for iron bridges

45221115 - Construction work for steel bridges

45221119 - Bridge renewal construction work

45221120 - Viaduct construction work

45221121 - Road viaduct construction work

45221122 - Railway viaduct construction work

45221200 - Construction work for tunnels, shafts and subways

50220000 - Repair, maintenance and associated services related to railways and other equipment

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£140,000,000 £100M-£1B
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
19 Jun 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
16 Oct 20264 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
24 Aug 2027 - 24 Aug 2034 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS LIMITED
Additional Buyers

NATIONAL HIGHWAYS

Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
GUILDFORD
Postcode
GU1 4LZ
Post Town
Guildford
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG3 West Midlands
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG31 Birmingham
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Birmingham
Electoral Ward
Ladywood
Westminster Constituency
Birmingham Ladywood

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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