Tender

Ticket Retailing & Validation Solutions

NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Tender

28 Nov 2025 at 16:05

Planning

09 Sep 2025 at 08:24

Summary of the contracting process

Northern Trains Limited is currently seeking bids for the provision of a Ticket Retailing & Validation Solution, intended to replace their current system due to the incumbent supplier's exit from the UK market. As a key player in the North of England's rail services, Northern Trains Limited requires a solution to be fully operational by December 2026, as part of their alignment with the PAYG programme for EMV. The procurement process is in the tender stage, with submissions closing on 12 January 2026 and anticipated awarding by 4 March 2026. This procurement, valued at £30 million, will follow an open procedure and aims to enhance the technology infrastructure across 24 depots and 162 locations, ensuring continuity and compliance with rail industry standards.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses in the technology and railway sectors, specifically those experienced in ticketing solutions and smartcard systems. Companies capable of providing a comprehensive Ticket Issuing System, maintaining RDG accreditation, and integrating EMV PAYG capabilities for regional smart ticketing schemes will find this project rewarding. The long-term contract, with potential renewal extensions, offers stability and growth prospects, making it ideal for firms focused on providing robust, scalable, and innovative ticketing solutions. By participating, businesses can position themselves as integral suppliers to one of the UK's significant rail operating companies, contributing to the enhancement of public transportation technology and customer service experience.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Ticket Retailing & Validation Solutions

Notice Description

Northern Trains Limited has a requirement to replace its existing Ticket Retailing & Validation solution by December 2026 due to the incumbent supplier's withdrawal from the UK rail ticketing market. Northern are therefore looking to engage the supply market to understand the solutions available. Northern Trains Limited Invitation to Tender is for the provision of a technology solution that satisfies two main outcomes for Northern: *Suitable replacement of the on-train and ticket office solution to maintain and safeguard ticket retailing and validation provision *Deliver on NTL's dependency into the PAYG programme for EMV A successfully delivered solution must meet 11 significant requirements: 1)Complete Ticket Issuing System (TIS) for All Devices *Requirement: Solution must provide a fully operational TIS across ticket offices and onboard mobile devices. *Rationale: Protects the continuity of retailing & ticket validation for Northern. 2)Architecture Description of All Components *Requirement: Supplier must provide a clear architecture description, confirming deployment as Cloud or Supplierhosted only. *Rationale: Ensures transparency of system design and integration capability, supporting Northern's preference for modern hosting models and interoperability. 3)Full Range of Retailing Options Available Day One *Requirement: Must support issuance of all national ticket types and Northern-specific products from launch. *Rationale: Northern's customer base spans multiple fare types and channels; continuity and breadth of retail options are critical for customer service and revenue protection. 4)RDG Accreditation and Compliance *Requirement: Solution must hold full RDG accreditation and comply with all industry standards at tender. *Rationale: Accreditation guarantees interoperability and adherence to rail industry technical standards, safeguarding operational integrity and compliance. 5)Adherence to Project Delivery Timelines *Requirement: Fully operational solution by December 2026. *Rationale: Aligns with Fujitsu contract end date and Northern's strategic timeline for transition and staff training, avoiding service disruption. 6)Customer Payment Type Acceptance *Requirement: Must process all major payment types (cards, contactless, mobile wallets, cash, warrants) and support PCI DSS compliance. *Rationale: Reflects diverse customer payment preferences and ensures secure, industry-standard processing to prevent fraud and maintain trust. 7)Support for ITSO PAYG Smartcards *Requirement: Must support ITSO PAYG products (e.g., MCard, POP card) and integrate with ITSO HOPS for ISAM management. *Rationale: Enables interoperability with regional smart ticketing schemes, supporting Northern's multi-modal travel commitments. 8)TfGM cEMV PAYG Capability *Requirement: Must incorporate functionality for TfGM's contactless EMV PAYG scheme, ready for testing by July 2026. *Rationale: Future-proofs the solution for emerging PAYG initiatives, supporting Greater Manchester's integrated transport vision and Northern's strategic role in PAYG rollout. 9)Customer Travel Options and Fare Types *Requirement: Must present full range of national and Northern-specific fare options across all devices. *Rationale: Ensures customers can access correct fares and products consistently, enhancing service quality and revenue accuracy. 10)End-of-Shift Accounting Functionality *Requirement: Must provide robust end-of-shift accounting features for ticket sales and reconciliation. *Rationale: Critical for financial integrity, audit compliance, and operational efficiency in managing cash and card transactions. 11)Ticket Inspection and Validation Functionality *Requirement: Must enable inspection and validation of all ticket types (smartcards, barcodes, PAYG) on both ticket office and mobile devices. *Rationale: Supports revenue protection and customer trust by ensuring tickets are valid and correctly processed across all channels. Northern Trains Limited, is a Train Operating Company (TOC) that operates passenger rail services in the North of England. Where used throughout this notice, the meaning of Train Operating Companies includes all and any of those train operating companies who, currently or in the future, provide services for the carriage of passengers by railway: a. under a franchise agreement with the Secretary of State within the meaning of section 23(3) of the Railways Act 1993 or b. under, or secured under, the Secretary of State's duty in section 30(1) of the Railways Act 1993; or c. in accordance with legislation which supersedes or amends the powers referred to in a) and b), including where such powers are transferred from the Secretary of State to another body. The list of current providers of services for the carriage of passengers by railway under these provisions can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/public-register-of-rail-passenger-contracts. Novation or Assignment The contract may be novated or assigned by Northern Trains Limited to Train Operating Companies, or to DFT Operator Limited (company number: 07141122) or any successor parent company to a Train Operating Company, following a corporate restructuring or similar circumstance. Other Information Northern Trains Limited expressly reserves the right: i. not to award any suppliers the contract referred to in this notice; and ii. in no circumstances will the customer be liable for any costs incurred by the suppliers.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The minimum term is six (6) years, with the option to extend for a further five (5) years, split into a three (3) year option followed by a two (2) year option, up to a total maximum duration of eleven (11) years.

Planning Information

Northern would like to invite any suppliers who substantially meet the system detailed to register their interest to attend a briefing call hosted by the Project Team & Procurement Manager to explain the requirements in more detail. The briefing call will be hosted on Teams on 19/09/2025 11.30am - 12.30pm for all suppliers to attend. The session will consist of the project team giving an overview of Northern's technical requirements in further detail followed by a Q&A sessions for interested Suppliers to field any initial questions or clarifications. If you are interested in partaking in this briefing call please send an expression of interest to Alex Ashman (alexander.ashman@northernrailway.co.uk) along with a summary of the system capabilities (i.e Product fact sheet).

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-059648
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078223-2025
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

30 - Office and computing machinery, equipment and supplies except furniture and software packages

50 - Repair and maintenance services


CPV Codes

30123100 - Ticket-validation machines

30144200 - Ticket-issuing machines

50316000 - Maintenance and repair of ticket-issuing machinery

50317000 - Maintenance and repair of ticket-validation machinery

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£30,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
£30,000,000 £10M-£100M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
28 Nov 20256 days ago
Submission Deadline
12 Jan 20262 months to go
Future Notice Date
19 Sep 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
30 Mar 2026 - 30 Mar 2032 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED
Contact Name
Alex Ashman
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

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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