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Class 320 Rolling Stock Lease

ScotRail Trains Limited

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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28 Jul 2026 at 13:55

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

ScotRail Trains Limited is procuring an extension to the existing lease of 22 three-car Class 320 electric multiple-unit railway vehicles. The requirement covers the same rolling stock fleet and supports continued operation of vital suburban passenger services on the Glasgow Suburban Lines while ScotRail develops an enduring replacement fleet, including trains using batteries and network electrification. The work is therefore focused on railway rolling stock leasing and continued fleet availability, rather than the manufacture of new trains. The buyer is ScotRail Trains Limited, based in Glasgow. The vehicles are required for operation on routes in and around Glasgow, with compatibility across the relevant rail infrastructure, depots, safety arrangements and ScotRail’s other existing fleets. The procurement is categorised as railway and tramway rolling stock and associated parts (CPV 34600000).

This procurement has been completed through a limited award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition, as a modification to an existing lease. The extension was awarded to Eversholt Rail on 28 July 2026, and the contract was signed on the same date. Its estimated value, including the option, is £57,300,000 excluding VAT. The existing lease is scheduled to expire on 31 December 2027; a five-year extension has been agreed, with an option for a further period of up to 12 months. The award covers one requirement: the 22 three-car Class 320 vehicles. ScotRail’s stated rationale is that changing supplier would create significant technical or economic difficulty, inconvenience and duplicated cost because the fleet is accepted for the relevant routes and alternatives lack the necessary capacity or compatibility. The award is active.

This award indicates demand for specialist rolling stock leasing and fleet support for suburban rail operations in Glasgow. A credible competitor for a future requirement would need access to suitable three-car electric multiple units, or the ability to provide technically equivalent trains, together with evidence that the fleet can operate safely on the relevant routes without extensive gauging, infrastructure or depot changes. Compatibility with existing ScotRail fleets and network safety arrangements would be important. Suppliers would also need to demonstrate reliable fleet availability at the required scale and an ability to support operator transition without imposing disproportionate driver, engineering or maintenance training demands. Experience managing established passenger rolling stock, coordinating with train operators and maintaining operational continuity during fleet replacement would strengthen a future proposition. The buyer’s requirements also point to capability in supporting interim fleet solutions while newer technologies are developed and commissioned.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Class 320 Rolling Stock Lease

Notice Description

This notice concerns a modification to an existing lease (the Lease) procured whilst ScotRail was under the Abellio franchise ownership, between ScotRail Trains Limited (SRT) and Eversholt Rail Leasing Limited (Beacon Rail) for 22 x 3 car Class 320 vehicles (the Fleet). The Lease is currently scheduled to expire on 31 December 2027 and a 5-year extension has been agreed to the Lease for the same scope of supplies, with an additional option to extend for up to a further one year. The value of that extension (inclusive of options) is estimated to be GBP 57,300,000 excluding VAT. This extension is necessary to ensure SRT is able to discharge its obligations and continue to deliver vital services while the suburban new fleet procurement is concluded and is therefore an interim solution until the new fleet can be procured, built and commissioned for passenger service.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The Lease is being modified in accordance with regulation 86(1)(b) of the Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016 as additional supplies not included within the original procurement have become necessary, and a change of contractor cannot be made for economic or technical reasons and would cause significant inconvenience or substantial duplication of cost for SRT, because: 1. The modification has become necessary: there is a need to secure the ongoing operation of the Lease, which includes lifeline services in Glasgow suburban areas, while SRT carries out a full procurement for an enduring rolling stock solution using emerging technologies (including batteries and network electrification). 2. A change of contractor cannot be made for economic or technical reasons: this is because: a. the Fleet has specific characteristics and technical features that are designed to interoperate with the rail infrastructure and SRT's other fleets and are required for operation on the Glasgow Suburban Lines. For example: (i) Along with ScotRail's other existing fleets, the Fleet is the only fleet which is fully accepted for operation on these lines, without incurring expensive and operationally disruptive gauging works. (ii) Fixed front end gangways, which are fitted to a number of EMU fleets, are not accepted by driver unions and are not permitted on the South Glasgow route due to obscuring vision of off-side starter signals. (iii) any alternative Fleet would require an extensive programme of train crew and engineering staff training, incurring significant training which would create significant additional (and disproportionate) training workload at a time when SRT is already engaged in an intensive programme of recruitment for future fleet cascades and new trains and therefore does not have the capacity to commence a training programme for an additional new fleet within the necessary timeframe. b. SRT's analysis has confirmed that there are no alternative available fleets that contain the necessary technical features and could meet these requirements. Other potential available fleets have insufficient trains or would be too long to replace the existing 3-car Cl320 and do not have the network/depot/safety compatibility required to operate on the relevant routes. c. In the event that an alternative existing fleet with suitable performance and technical characteristics was available (which in SRT's view is not the case), and that fleet could be adapted to accommodate the necessary technical features, this would result in substantial duplication of cost, significant inconvenience and extra time out of service, which would be disproportionate in the context of an interim solution.

Options: Option to extend for a period of up to a further 12 months.

Procurement Information

Please refer to II.2.4 for the Description of the procurement

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06d54c
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/071239-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

CPV Codes

34600000 - Railway and tramway locomotives and rolling stock and associated parts

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£57,300,000 £10M-£100M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
28 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
ScotRail Trains 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
GLASGOW
Postcode
G2 6HQ
Postcode Area
Glasgow
Country
Scotland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM3 West Central Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM32 Glasgow City
Delivery Location
TLM Scotland
Local Authority
Glasgow City
Electoral Ward
Anderston/City/Yorkhill
Westminster Constituency
Glasgow North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Eversholt Rail

Further Information

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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