Award

Class 170 Rolling Stock Lease

SCOTRAIL TRAINS LIMITED

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

16 Jan 2026 at 16:35

Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process involves ScotRail Trains Limited extending a lease agreement with Porterbrook Leasing Company Limited for 102 Class 170 railway vehicles. This extension, valued at GBP 265,700,000 excluding VAT, ensures the ongoing provision of services crucial to the suburban and rural areas of Scotland. The lease, initially under the Abellio franchise, is currently set to expire on 31 March 2030, with a newly agreed 10-year extension and an option to extend for an additional two years. This procurement, categorised under the goods industry for "Railway and tramway locomotives and rolling stock and associated parts," is located primarily in the UKM region and has reached the award stage as of 16 January 2026. The contract was awarded without prior publication due to its alignment with utility contract regulations that restrict changes for economic or technical reasons, ensuring continuity while new fleet procurements are underway.

This tender provides significant growth opportunities for businesses involved in railway equipment supply, maintenance, and refurbishment. Companies that specialise in railway and rolling stock equipment or those capable of subcontracting engineering services, like Wabtec UK Limited, Brodie Engineering Limited, and Alstom Transport UK Limited, are well-suited to compete in this sector. The contracting process facilitates strategic partnerships and long-term involvement in Scotland's rail network enhancements, especially for businesses focusing on the integration of emerging technologies such as battery systems and network electrification solutions. With substantial budget allocation and a focus on sustainable transit development, this project paves the way for both established and emerging firms to participate in a critical phase of rail industry innovation and service improvement.

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Notice Title

Class 170 Rolling Stock Lease

Notice Description

This notice concerns a modification to an existing lease (the Lease) procured whilst ScotRail was under the Abellio franchise ownership, between ScotRail Trains Limited (SRT) and Porterbrook Leasing Company Limited (Porterbrook) for 102 Class 170 vehicles (the Fleet). The Lease is currently scheduled to expire on 31 March 2030 and a 10-year extension has been agreed to the Lease for the same scope of supplies, with an additional option to extend for up to a further 2 years. The value of that extension (inclusive of options) is GBP 265,700,000 excluding VAT. This extension is necessary to ensure SRT is able to discharge its obligations and continue to deliver vital services while the suburban and rural new fleet procurements are commenced and is therefore an interim solution until the new fleet can be procured, built and commissioned for passenger service. An interior refurbishment will be undertaken to the Fleet to ensure it can continue to operate for passenger service for the duration of the extension.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The Lease is being modified in accordance with regulation 86(1)(b) of the Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016 as additional supplies not included within the original procurement have become necessary, and a change of contractor cannot be made for economic or technical reasons and would cause significant inconvenience or substantial duplication of cost for SRT, because: 1. The modification has become necessary: there is a need to secure the ongoing operation of the Lease, which includes lifeline services in rural and east suburban areas, while SRT carries out a full procurement for an enduring rolling stock solution using emerging technologies (including batteries and network electrification). Diesel trains are the only feasible option for this interim period. 2. A change of contractor cannot be made for economic or technical reasons: this is because: a. the Fleet has specific characteristics and technical features that are designed to interoperate with the rail infrastructure and SRT's other fleets and are required for operation on the East Suburban Lines. For example: i. the Fleet is the only available DMU passenger stock which is fully accepted for operation on these lines and is able to make use of differential speed limits to meet the required journey times; ii. the Fleet has been fitted with Variable Rate Sanding Equipment, funded by the Scottish Targeted Performance Fund, to offer improved braking performance in low adhesion environments and support SRT's safety case; iii. the Fleet is able to maintain technical compatibility with the network (including the CL158 fleet with which it is required to operate interchangeably) and depots, ensuring SRT satisfies the operational requirements stipulated in its Grant Agreement with Scottish Ministers. iv. any alternative Fleet would require an extensive programme of train crew and engineering staff training, incurring significant training which would create significant additional (and disproportionate) training workload at a time when SRT is already engaged in an intensive programme of recruitment for future fleet cascades and new trains; v. Please note there is a Section 54 Agreement currently in place until 2035. An extension to the Section 54 agreement is being finalised in relation to the Fleet, and SRT expects that agreement to be in place for the full duration of the lease and options. b. SRT's analysis has confirmed that there are no alternative available fleets (other than the CL158s that SRT already operates) that contain the necessary technical features and could meet these requirements. In the event that an alternative existing fleet with suitable performance and technical characteristics was available (which in SRT's view is not the case), and that fleet could be adapted to accommodate the necessary technical features, this would result in substantial duplication of cost, significant inconvenience and extra time out of service, which would be disproportionate in the context of an interim solution

Options: As per Section II.1.4, there is an option to extend for up to a further 2 years.

Procurement Information

Please refer to II.2.4 for the Description of the procurement

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06080e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/004076-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation


CPV Codes

34600000 - Railway and tramway locomotives and rolling stock and associated parts

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£265,700,000 £100M-£1B

Notice Dates

Publication Date
16 Jan 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
16 Jan 20261 months ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
SCOTRAIL TRAINS LIMITED
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
emma.docherty@scotrail.co.uk
Contact Phone
+44 3448110141

Buyer Location

Locality
GLASGOW
Postcode
G2 6HQ
Post Town
Glasgow
Country
Scotland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM3 West Central Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM32 Glasgow City
Delivery Location
TLM Scotland

Local Authority
Glasgow City
Electoral Ward
Anderston/City/Yorkhill
Westminster Constituency
Glasgow North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

PORTERBROOK

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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