Award

Third Line Support for Network Rail (High Speed)

NETWORK RAIL (HIGH SPEED) LIMITED

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

09 Apr 2026 at 08:42

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Network Rail (High Speed) Limited has concluded a procurement process for a contract titled "Third Line Support for Network Rail (High Speed)." The procurement, under the category of systems support services, was conducted through a direct award to Compagnie des Signaux, consistent with the legal requirements stipulated in the Procurement Act 2023. This contract, valued at approximately £5.8 million net of VAT, spans from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2032, with an option to extend by two years, covering critical support services for the HS1 route's signalling and control systems. Located in London, Network Rail (High Speed) serves as a public authority under the central government, and the awarded contract is part of a strategic decision to maintain compatibility and operational integrity of its proprietary systems.

This contract presents significant business growth opportunities, primarily for large-scale enterprises engaged in systems support services, with particular strengths in transport infrastructure and signalling systems. The exclusivity of the contract to Compagnie des Signaux due to their ownership of pertinent intellectual property highlights the competitive advantage possessed by companies with proprietary technologies and specialist expertise. Firms with capabilities in independent safety assessments or peripheral systems such as SCADA or power systems may explore opportunities in associated projects, leveraging their technical competencies to engage with similar high-value public sector projects.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Third Line Support for Network Rail (High Speed)

Notice Description

Network Rail (High Speed) intends to award a contract for a Third Line Support to Compagnie des Signaux. This is an ongoing contract which provides signalling and control systems on the HS1 route, including RCCS and associated proprietary platforms. Services include incident support, fault investigation and recovery, maintenance of development and support environments, diagnostics and repair of critical equipment, obsolescence monitoring, contract and service management, and system specific training. The services can only be delivered by the supplier as the sole owner of the system-level intellectual property.

Procurement Information

This approach aligns with the Direct Award Justification under Schedule 5, item 7 of the Procurement Act 2023. Schedule 5, item 7 stipulates that direct award is permitted if the following conditions are met in relation to the public contract: * (a) a change in supplier would result in the contracting authority receiving goods, services or works that are different from, or incompatible with, the existing goods, services or works, and * (b) the difference or incompatibility would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation or maintenance. Compagnie des Signaux is the sole supplier capable of providing comprehensive third line support for the HS1 signalling and control systems. No other supplier has access to the proprietary engineering environment or the safety critical software needed to diagnose faults, implement fixes or maintain system integrity. Alternative suppliers could only contribute to peripheral or unrelated areas (e.g., independent safety assessment or separate SCADA/power systems), but none can provide the required third line support for RCCS, confirming that a direct award is justified.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-067e86
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/032183-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

72253200 - Systems support services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£5,808,614 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Apr 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
9 Apr 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
30 Jun 2026 - 30 Jun 2032 Over 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
NETWORK RAIL (HIGH SPEED) 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 8SW
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)
TLI45 Lambeth
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Lambeth
Electoral Ward
Waterloo & South Bank
Westminster Constituency
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

COMPAGNIE DES SIGNAUX

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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