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Tyre Turning Services

Direct Rail Services Limited

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Tender

20 Jul 2026 at 17:41

UK4 - Tender Notice
PlanningUpdate

31 Mar 2026 at 10:31

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

13 Mar 2026 at 11:01

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Direct Rail Services Limited is procuring tyre turning services for locomotives and wagons. The work involves the repair and maintenance of locomotive wheelsets, including turning railway wheel tyres to maintain suitable wheel profiles and condition. The requirement is classed as a service and is being bought by Direct Rail Services Limited, based in Carlisle. The procurement covers one service requirement rather than separate lots. The market engagement sought information about suppliers’ technical capability, available capacity and geographic coverage for delivering the service, as well as their ability to provide flexible capacity arrangements. This may include reserving service slots that are paid for only when used. The scope therefore suits businesses providing specialist railway wheelset or locomotive and wagon tyre-turning services.

The process has reached tender: Direct Rail Services Limited invited offers through an open procedure. It is being run as a voluntary procurement that broadly aligns with aspects of the competitive flexible procedure, although the buyer states it does not consider itself bound by UK procurement legislation. Supplier enquiries were due by 12 August 2026 at 15:00, and offers were due by 19 August 2026 at 15:00. The intended award decision period ends on 15 September 2026. The contract is scheduled to run from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2029. The estimated value is £1,000,000 including gross value, in GBP. Evaluation is weighted 60% technical quality and 40% price. Electronic submission is allowed in English.

This opportunity suits specialist rail engineering and wheelset maintenance businesses with the equipment, trained personnel and operating controls needed to turn locomotive and wagon tyres safely and consistently. Suppliers should be able to demonstrate practical capability in railway wheelset repair and maintenance, with enough capacity to support the buyer’s requirements over the service period. Businesses with suitable facilities or service coverage in the relevant operating geography will be better placed, since the market exercise specifically seeks geographic coverage. The flexible-capacity model may suit suppliers able to reserve production or workshop slots while accepting payment only when those slots are used. The requirement is identified as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community and social enterprises.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Tyre Turning Services

Notice Description

Tyre Turning Services DRS does not consider itself bound by the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23) and associated procurement legislation (together the "UK procurement legislation") on the basis that, operating commercially, it is not a public authority, nor does it carry out any utility activities. Accordingly, this Procurement is not, and does not purport to be, subject to UK procurement legislation. For the avoidance of doubt, Tenderers are put on notice that the publication of this document and any other document that relates to this Procurement (including the relevant tender notice) is published voluntarily and nothing in this document, or any other document that DRS publishes in relation to this Procurement, should be construed as purporting to give rise to rights or obligations under UK procurement legislation. That said, DRS intends to operate a fair process which broadly aligns with certain key aspects of the competitive flexible procedure under the PA23 and which aligns with the objectives of section 12(1)-(3) of the PA23

Planning Information

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued to understand the market capability, capacity and geographic coverage for the provision of Locomotive and Wagon tyre turning services. The RFI also seeks to understand supplier appetite for flexible capacity models, including reserved slots available on a pay only if used basis.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-066983
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068455-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

50 - Repair and maintenance services

CPV Codes

50221300 - Repair and maintenance services of locomotive wheelsets

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,000,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£1,000,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
20 Jul 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
19 Aug 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Oct 2026 - 30 Sep 2029 3-4 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
Direct Rail Services Limited
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CARLISLE
Postcode
CA6 4SJ
Postcode Area
Carlisle
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD1 Cumbria
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD13 Cumberland
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Cumberland
Electoral Ward
Dalston and Burgh
Westminster Constituency
Carlisle

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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