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Carriage Hire Agreement for 5 No. Mk2e BUO Coaches

NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

07 Jul 2026 at 14:52

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

08 May 2026 at 08:21

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, a central government public authority, has recently concluded a procurement process for the hire of five Mk2e BUO Coaches to be utilised within their Infrastructure Monitoring fleet. The contract was directly awarded to Eastern Rail Services Limited, located in Ipswich, UK, recognising the significant modifications already in place for infrastructure monitoring operations. The procurement, focused on the railway transport services industry, was completed under the 'services' category, with the contract period extending from 20th July 2026 to 31st March 2028, and possibly up to 2029, depending on further needs. The process utilised a direct award method due to technical compatibility and cost concerns of switching suppliers.

This tender offers substantial business growth opportunities, particularly for SMEs in the railway transport and services sector. Companies capable of providing bespoke carriage modifications for infrastructure monitoring purposes would be well-suited to compete in similar tenders, should opportunities arise. The contract worth approximately £2.65 million, signifies a meaningful engagement in the railway sector, where services provided directly impact safe and efficient railway operations. More broadly, businesses positioned to offer specialised technical services or equipment to central government bodies like Network Rail may find opportunities in future procurements of this nature, where tailored solutions are preferentially sought.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Carriage Hire Agreement for 5 No. Mk2e BUO Coaches

Notice Description

The hire of 5 MK2E BUO Carriages for use in the Infrastructure monitoring fleet. This is for the continued hire of the same set of vehicle Network Rail has been using since 2019 which have undergone significant bespoke modification to make them compatible for use in Infrastructure Monitoring Train operations. The scope of this contract is for their continued hire up until 2028 (extendable until 2029) and to permit further modifications to be made to help better facilitate Infrastructure Monitoring operations.

Procurement Information

Changing suppliers would result in incompatible goods being hired and/or disproportionate technical challenges and costs. Other Mk2E carriages or alternatives hired from the market where they exist would need Network Rail's bespoke Infrastructure monitoring modifications and therefore face interoperability issues or money & time intensive modification costs, which may disrupt Infrastructure Monitoring fleet operations if a switch were to be made. These operations are critical to the safe running of the railway as they identify preventative maintenance requirements.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06941e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063786-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

CPV Codes

60200000 - Railway transport services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£2,209,700 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
7 Jul 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
8 May 20262 months ago
Contract Period
19 Jul 2026 - 31 Mar 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE 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

EASTERN RAIL SERVICES

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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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