Award

Central Line and Victoria Line - Cab Simulator Upgrades

TRANSPORT FOR LONDON

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

17 Nov 2025 at 12:28

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Transport for London is overseeing a procurement contracting process for upgrades to Cab Simulators on the Central and Victoria Lines. The initiative is aimed at replacing hardware and migrating software to maintain operational continuity and mitigate risks. This contract, valued at approximately £450,000 excluding VAT, has been directly awarded to Sydac Limited due to the proprietary nature of the simulators and the necessity for compatibility with existing systems. The procurement process, under the direct award method justified by the Procurement Act 2023, is in the award stage, with the contract expected to start on 12 January 2026. The headquarters of the buying organisation is in London, and the contract is crucial for supporting Business as Usual training operations within the rail industry category.

This tender presents significant growth opportunities for enterprises familiar with rail infrastructure and simulation technology. It is particularly suited to businesses that specialise in software development and hardware integration within the transportation sector. SMEs that work on railway traffic control software and have experience in integrating and upgrading existing systems stand a competitive chance of engaging with similar contracts in the future. The focus on maintaining simulator reliability, coupled with a long-term commitment to improving operational readiness, underscores the importance of technical expertise and innovative solutions in this sector.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

D3 Tenders Premium

Win More Public Sector Contracts

AI-powered tender discovery, pipeline management, and market intelligence — everything you need to grow your public sector business.

Start Free Trial Book a Demo
All Features Pricing

Notice Information

Notice Title

Central Line and Victoria Line - Cab Simulator Upgrades

Notice Description

The justification for awarding the proposed contract in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 is a Direct Award for the provision of upgraded OEM assets and software of Two (2) Cab Simulators on each of the Central and Victoria Lines. This is required to maintain operational continuity and mitigate risks associated with ageing hardware and unsupported operating systems. This upgrade is essential for Transport for London to ensure simulator reliability, reduce maintenance overheads, and avoid costly and disruptive failures. The contract supports Business as Usual (BAU) training operations and aligns with long-term asset management strategies. This direct award is justified under Schedule 5, Paragraph 6 of the Procurement Act 2023, as the goods and services required must be compatible with existing equipment and systems. 6. The following conditions are met in relation to the public contract: (a) due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and (b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works. Total Contract Amount is circa PS450,000 excluding VAT.

Procurement Information

The Central and Victoria Line Cab Simulators are proprietary assets originally developed and maintained by Sydac, and the proposed upgrades including hardware replacement, software migration to Windows 11, and integration with the existing Ogre Vision platform must align with the current simulator architecture and operational environment. Due to the bespoke nature of the simulators and the technical dependencies between legacy and upgraded components, only Sydac can ensure full compatibility and continuity of service.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05e267
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074369-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

CPV Codes

48140000 - Railway traffic control software package

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£450,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
17 Nov 20253 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
17 Nov 20253 months ago
Contract Period
12 Jan 2026 - 11 Jan 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
TRANSPORT FOR LONDON
Contact Name
Samuel Ward
Contact Email
samward1@tfl.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
E20 1JN
Post Town
East London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI41 Hackney and Newham
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Newham
Electoral Ward
Stratford Olympic Park
Westminster Constituency
Stratford and Bow

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

SYDAC

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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. 

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-05e267-2025-11-17T12:28:05Z",
    "date": "2025-11-17T12:28:05Z",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-05e267",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PHMT-6197-NWNZ",
            "name": "Transport for London",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PHMT-6197-NWNZ"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "5 Endeavour Square",
                "locality": "London",
                "postalCode": "E20 1JN",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKI41"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "name": "Samuel Ward",
                "email": "samward1@tfl.gov.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
                        "description": "Public authority - central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-COH-05848364",
            "name": "SYDAC LIMITED",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-COH",
                "id": "05848364"
            },
            "additionalIdentifiers": [
                {
                    "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                    "id": "PQWW-9352-VGRY"
                }
            ],
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "C/O Womble Bond Dickinson (Uk) Llp Oceana House",
                "locality": "Southampton",
                "postalCode": "SO15 1GA",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKJ32"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "mark.simpson@sogeclair.com"
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "https://sogeclair.com/en/simulation/rail-simulation",
                "scale": "sme",
                "vcse": false
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PHMT-6197-NWNZ",
        "name": "Transport for London"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "WS2723490010",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Central Line and Victoria Line - Cab Simulator Upgrades",
        "description": "The justification for awarding the proposed contract in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 is a Direct Award for the provision of upgraded OEM assets and software of Two (2) Cab Simulators on each of the Central and Victoria Lines. This is required to maintain operational continuity and mitigate risks associated with ageing hardware and unsupported operating systems. This upgrade is essential for Transport for London to ensure simulator reliability, reduce maintenance overheads, and avoid costly and disruptive failures. The contract supports Business as Usual (BAU) training operations and aligns with long-term asset management strategies. This direct award is justified under Schedule 5, Paragraph 6 of the Procurement Act 2023, as the goods and services required must be compatible with existing equipment and systems. 6. The following conditions are met in relation to the public contract: (a) due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and (b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works. Total Contract Amount is circa PS450,000 excluding VAT.",
        "status": "complete",
        "procurementMethod": "direct",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Direct award",
        "procurementMethodRationale": "The Central and Victoria Line Cab Simulators are proprietary assets originally developed and maintained by Sydac, and the proposed upgrades including hardware replacement, software migration to Windows 11, and integration with the existing Ogre Vision platform must align with the current simulator architecture and operational environment. Due to the bespoke nature of the simulators and the technical dependencies between legacy and upgraded components, only Sydac can ensure full compatibility and continuity of service.",
        "specialRegime": [
            "utilities"
        ],
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "complete",
                "suitability": {
                    "sme": true
                }
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "conflictOfInterest",
                "documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
                "description": "Not published"
            }
        ],
        "procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
            {
                "id": "singleSuppliersTechnicalReasons"
            }
        ]
    },
    "awards": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "title": "Central Line and Victoria Line - Cab Simulator Upgrades",
            "status": "pending",
            "value": {
                "amountGross": 540000,
                "amount": 450000,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "mainProcurementCategory": "goods",
            "aboveThreshold": true,
            "suppliers": [
                {
                    "id": "GB-COH-05848364",
                    "name": "SYDAC LIMITED"
                }
            ],
            "items": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "additionalClassifications": [
                        {
                            "scheme": "CPV",
                            "id": "48140000",
                            "description": "Railway traffic control software package"
                        }
                    ],
                    "deliveryAddresses": [
                        {
                            "region": "UKI",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        }
                    ],
                    "relatedLot": "1"
                }
            ],
            "contractPeriod": {
                "startDate": "2026-01-12T00:00:00Z",
                "endDate": "2027-01-11T23:59:59Z"
            },
            "relatedLots": [
                "1"
            ],
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "074369-2025",
                    "documentType": "awardNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK5",
                    "description": "Transparency notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074369-2025",
                    "datePublished": "2025-11-17T12:28:05Z",
                    "format": "text/html"
                }
            ],
            "milestones": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "type": "futureSignatureDate",
                    "dueDate": "2026-01-05T23:59:59Z",
                    "status": "scheduled"
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "language": "en"
}