Planning

Operational Data and System-to-System Messaging Platforming - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice

NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

12 May 2026 at 08:39

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Network Rail Infrastructure Limited is in the planning stage for a procurement process focused on the re-platforming of its operational data and system-to-system messaging platforms, namely EMS Hub and LINX. This initiative seeks to address procurement in the information technology services sector, encompassing systems consultancy, programming, and software implementation. Network Rail's headquarters is located in Waterloo, London, and this tender involves the region of the United Kingdom. Details for this procurement process include key dates such as the milestone due on 8th June 2026 for engagement, with a further potential start date of contract around December 2027. This reflects Network Rail's commitment to modernising its data infrastructure, enhancing efficiency and operational performance across its network.

This tender offers a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in IT services and software solutions, particularly those with expertise in system integration and messaging solutions. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs) are encouraged to participate. By engaging in this procurement, businesses can gain access to a high-profile client in the UK’s rail industry and contribute to a project with a long-term impact on national infrastructure. The engagement provides a platform for showcasing innovation in data management and integration, paving the way for future collaborations and potential growth in the utilities sector.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Operational Data and System-to-System Messaging Platforming - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice

Notice Description

Network Rail currently operates two platforms (EMS Hub and LINX) that perform broadly similar roles in transporting operational data and enabling system-to-system messaging across the railway ecosystem. The EMS Hub has been in use since 2005 as a real-time messaging platform serving Network Rail and industry partners across multiple business sectors. LINX, introduced in 2017, was initially designed to act as a linkage layer between newer train management services and legacy systems. Over time, both platforms have evolved in parallel, resulting in significant functional overlap, duplicated dataflows, and an unclear delineation of responsibilities between them. LINX is a specialist platform for Traffic Management and operational railway data, providing controlled, resilient and standardised real-time data exchange. EMS Hub is a flexible, enterprise integration platform supporting a wide range of business domains, including finance, maintenance, operational reporting and web services. Both EMS Hub and LINX provide real-time messaging and data exchange between operational systems used to manage train movements, timetabling, maintenance, and performance reporting. Because the two platforms are built on the same underlying IBM MQ and IBM ACE technology stack (on-premises IBM zLinux technology), data is shared between them, with both systems exposing this data to external customers in real time. This results in: - Duplicated data transmission, where systems feed separate dataflows into each platform. - External consumers having to subscribe to both platforms to obtain a complete picture. - Parallel technology footprints without a clear business rationale for maintaining two distinct platforms. This duplication of external feeds has introduced unnecessary cost, complexity, and operational inefficiency. EMS Hub in particular has historically acted as the "default" integration layer and now supports a wide mix of operational, financial, and maintenance services. LINX, by contrast, was designed to serve the Traffic Management System, and today provides the core dataflows that underpin real-time railway operations. LINX also depends on several key EMS Hub feeds creating further cross-platform interdependencies. Despite the challenges inherent in the current landscape, both EMS Hub and LINX continue to provide reliable and resilient services that underpin Network Rail's operational data exchange. Together, the platforms enable high-volume, near-real-time data sharing between internal operating centres and external third parties, supporting critical operational and customer-facing use cases. Any future platform should build on these outcomes, providing a generic, scalable, and cost-effective integration capability that supports high-throughput data distribution, interoperation with legacy technologies, and secure connectivity with both internal and external consumers, rather than seeking to replicate the existing solutions on a like-for-like basis. Requirements: Network Rail is exploring options to move toward a single, modern strategic platform to reduce duplication, improve efficiency, and realise long-term operational and financial benefits. Any future platform would need to provide a fully generic messaging capability to support all Network Rail services and departments, not solely train-related data, enabling consistent system-to-system integration across the organisation. This includes understanding both transition considerations and the ongoing cost to operate and maintain any future solution. The intent of this RFI is to understand strategic options for providing this capability in future, rather than to specify a detailed solution or architecture. The information provided is therefore indicative and intended to help suppliers form a view on scale, criticality and operational context, rather than to define prescriptive technical requirements. ------ Further, more detailed, information can be accessed within the 'Current Opportunities' option at the following link, under the title of 'Operational Data and System-to-System Messaging Platforming': https://networkrail.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html Any requests for clarification concerning this RFI, and to submit a response, please email supporting documentation as an attachment to tom.weatherley@networkrail.co.uk with the email subject 'LINX/EMS Re-Platforming RFI'. Any future procurement, if undertaken, would be subject to a separate competitive process and is not committed to at this stage.

Planning Information

Further, more detailed, information can be accessed within the 'Current Opportunities' option at the following link, under the title 'Operational Data and System-to-System Messaging Platforming': https://networkrail.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html Any requests for clarification concerning this RFI, and to submit a response, please email supporting documentation as an attachment to tom.weatherley@networkrail.co.uk with the email subject 'LINX/EMS Re-Platforming RFI'.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06965e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/043318-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

72212000 - Programming services of application software

72220000 - Systems and technical consultancy services

72222300 - Information technology services

72263000 - Software implementation services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
12 May 20262 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
8 Jun 20264 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Dec 2027 - 1 Dec 2032 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
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

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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