Award

Taxi Management Services

SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY LIMITED

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

30 Apr 2026 at 13:04

Award

20 Mar 2026 at 15:49

Award

20 Mar 2026 at 15:36

Summary of the contracting process

The public procurement process awarded on 30th April 2026 outlines a contract by South Western Railway Limited for Taxi Management Services, valued at GBP 2.88 million. This contract is designed to ensure the provision of approximately 5,000 taxis per period for train crew movements and includes ad-hoc and emergency services. The contract period extends from 1st April 2026 to 30th September 2026, with a potential extension until the end of 2026. Situated within the South East region of the United Kingdom, the service falls under the industry categories of "services" and "taxi services," delivered via a direct award procurement method due to the necessity for continuity in safety-critical transport operations. The awarded supplier is First Travel Solutions Limited.

This tender presents significant opportunities for the growth of companies specialising in logistics, transportation, and taxi operations. SMEs, particularly those capable of providing reliable transportation services during peak demand and emergencies, would be well-positioned to compete for future opportunities in this area. The transition to a new dynamic market by the Department for Transport Operations may open additional avenues for businesses to expand their clientele by aligning with public service transport needs. Companies with innovative solutions for managing logistics efficiently and those with a focus on sustainability may find considerable prospects for collaboration and expansion in this sector.

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How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Taxi Management Services

Notice Description

SWR require around 5,000 taxis per period to facilitate the traincrew diagrams and run the service on time. The Taxis required covers around 2/3 diagrammed and the rest are ad-hoc or emergency. There are planned taxis which run every day, one-off taxis are also required during engineering / special events, and also emergency taxis on the day if there is disruption to the train service. The provision of these fully managed Services must be delivered in accordance with the specification and Supplier's obligations.

Procurement Information

Additional or repeat goods, services or works - extension or partial replacement First Travel Solutions Limited (FTS) is the contracting authority's incumbent provider of Taxi Management Services across the SWR network. The service was previously delivered under a framework agreement, which expired on 31 December 2025, after which SWRL maintained continuity through an interim arrangement. Following SWR's transfer to public ownership, SWRL was required to enter into its own contractual arrangements and could not continue to rely on the group framework contract previously in place. A short term direct award is therefore required with the incumbent supplier to ensure continuity of this safety critical service, which supports traincrew movements, customer transport during disruption, and the safe operation of the railway. This interim arrangement will cover the period from 1 April 2026 to 30 September 2026, with an optional extension of up to 3 months, after which the service will transition to a contract awarded through the forthcoming DfTO Dynamic Market for transportation.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0670a4
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/039947-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)


CPV Codes

60120000 - Taxi services

60130000 - Special-purpose road passenger-transport services

60140000 - Non-scheduled passenger transport

60170000 - Hire of passenger transport vehicles with driver

60200000 - Railway transport services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£2,400,000 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
£2,400,000 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Apr 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
20 Mar 20262 months ago
Contract Period
31 Mar 2026 - 30 Sep 2026 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY 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
LONDON
Postcode
SE1 9LQ
Post Town
South East London
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI44 Lewisham and Southwark
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Southwark
Electoral Ward
Borough & Bankside
Westminster Constituency
Bermondsey and Old Southwark

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

FIRST TRAVEL SOLUTIONS

Further Information

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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