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Supply and Repair of Intercar Barriers for Victoria Line Rolling Stock Fleet, London Underground

Transport for London

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

05 Oct 2026 at 14:23

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

26 Jan 2026 at 10:38

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Transport for London is buying and repairing intercar barriers for the Victoria line fleet operated by London Underground. These barriers fit between train carriages and help prevent passengers on station platforms falling into the gaps between cars, making them safety-critical components. The requirement covers the supply and repair of barriers for the Victoria line rolling stock, rather than general rail equipment. The barriers are bespoke and designed for this fleet. Delivery is in London, for use in London Underground train operations. The relevant work is the manufacture, supply and maintenance or repair of specialised intercar barriers and associated rolling-stock components (CPV 34600000).

The procurement is complete and has been awarded to ICON Aerospace Technology, the existing supplier. Transport for London used a direct award without competition, citing technical reasons: the barriers’ bespoke, original-equipment-manufacturer-controlled design, intellectual property and production tooling mean that only this supplier can ensure compatibility and continuity, with no reasonable alternative. The stated legal basis is section 41.6 and Schedule 5, paragraph 6 of the Procurement Act 2023. The award is pending; the award date is 5 October 2026. The contract period runs from 16 October 2026 to 15 October 2030. The award value is £950,316 excluding VAT (£1,140,380 including VAT). The procurement is a single lot. No competitive evaluation criteria are stated; the basis for selection was technical exclusivity.

For suppliers considering comparable future requirements from Transport for London, this award demonstrates demand for safety-critical intercar barriers tailored to the Victoria line fleet, including ongoing supply and repair. A credible alternative would need to demonstrate verified compatibility with the trains and a dependable route to continuity of supply and repair. The buyer’s stated rationale places particular weight on control of the original design, intellectual property in the rubber compound, manufacturing and construction processes, and the mould tools used to make the barriers. It also points to the difficulty of developing an independent specification without comprehensive supporting documentation. Relevant capability therefore centres on specialist rail rolling-stock component manufacture and repair, bespoke design knowledge and the ability to support safe, consistent operation of the fleet. The successful supplier is an SME.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Supply and Repair of Intercar Barriers for Victoria Line Rolling Stock Fleet, London Underground

Notice Description

This Contract Award Notice is issued in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 to notify the market of the intention to award a contract and to formally commence the standstill period for the Supply of Intercar Barriers for Victoria Line to support London Underground's Maintenance requirements. In line with the Procurement Act 2023, this Contract Award Notice triggers an 8 working day stand still period, as applied automatically by the Find a Tender system. The Authority will not enter into the contract before the end of this standstill period. Intercar barriers prevent the risk of passengers on platforms falling into gaps between cars at stations, making them safety critical items. Due to the bespoke nature of the Intercar barriers and the technical dependency, only ICON Aerospace Technology can ensure full compatibility and continuity of supply. It is due to their purpose that all materials are critical for train operation. The justification for awarding the supply and repair agreement to ICON Aerospace Technology Ltd without competition is in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023.Clause 41.6, Schedule 5, paragraphs 6, which states; (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. The Intercar Barriers are currently supplied by ICON Aerospace Technology Limited UK. Due to the bespoke nature of the Intercar Barriers and the technical dependency, only ICON Aerospace Technology Limited UK can ensure full compatibility and continuity of service.

Procurement Information

The Victoria Line Intercar barriers are supplied by ICON Aerospace Technology. Due to the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) controlled design and the bespoke nature of the barriers, only ICON Aerospace Technology is able to guarantee full compatibility and continuity of supply. The Intercar barriers mitigate the risk of passengers on platforms falling into gaps between cars at stations, classifying them as safety critical items. ICON holds ownership of the design, maintains intellectual property rights for the rubber compound, and controls the manufacture and construction process, including the mould tools used in production. In the absence of comprehensive supporting documentation, developing an independent specification presents significant technical challenges. The justification for awarding this proposed contract is in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023, Section 41.6 Schedule 5 paragraph 6 which states: 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.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-060e14
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093871-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

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
£950,316 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
5 Oct 20263 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
5 Oct 20263 weeks ago
Contract Period
16 Oct 2026 - 15 Oct 2030 4-5 years
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
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
E20 1JN
Postcode Area
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

ICON Aerospace Technology Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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