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Railhead Cleaning Technology Trial

Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

01 Oct 2026 at 11:02

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

21 Sep 2026 at 11:10

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

03 Aug 2026 at 19:08

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Network Rail Infrastructure Limited commissioned a trial of laser-based railhead cleaning technology to help its seasonal maintenance team future-proof its fleet and assess whether laser treatment can remove the need for water when cleaning railheads. The work has two phases: an off-track trial followed by testing on a live railway in the UK, at the required operating speed of 60 mph. It combines railway maintenance technology with research and experimental development, with the trial focused on the performance of a laser solution in railway conditions.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to Laser Tribology B.V. through a direct award, on the basis that its specialised laser treatment was in operational use across international rail industries and had demonstrated greater maturity and readiness for live-network trials than alternatives. The award was made on 4 August 2026. The contract was signed on 1 October 2026 and runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2028. Its value is £700,000 excluding VAT (£840,000 including VAT). The requirement was divided into one lot, which was marked as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises. The supplied procurement information gives no separate price or quality scoring breakdown.

For suppliers seeking to compete when this specific railhead-cleaning requirement returns, credibility will depend on delivering laser-based treatment that can reduce or eliminate water use while meeting Network Rail’s operational needs. The trial calls for evidence across both off-track testing and work on a live railway, including safe, reliable performance at 60 mph. The buyer’s stated rationale makes proven deployment particularly important: it selected technology already used in international rail industries, with a record progressing beyond pilots to live-network trials and longer-term operating contracts. Suppliers will therefore need to demonstrate technical maturity, railway operating assurance and the ability to deliver at the required speed, rather than relying on an emerging solution without comparable deployment evidence. The single lot was considered suitable for SMEs, indicating that this specialised requirement was not restricted to large suppliers.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Railhead Cleaning Technology Trial

Notice Description

The supplier will deliver a trial of a laser solution, to support the Seasonal team with their future proofing of the fleet, focusing on eliminating the need of using water to clean the railhead, by using laser technology. The trial will consist of 2 phases. 1 being off track and the other on a live rail environments within the UK at the desired speed of 60mph.

Procurement Information

The requirement for laser-based railhead treatment is highly specialised and LPS are the only provider than has this laser treatment in full use across international rail industries and can deliver the laser treatment at the required speed that NR requires. Furthermore, the maturity of LPS's technology and its prior deployment history differentiate it from emerging or unproven alternatives. Existing materials show that LPS has progressed from pilot phases to live network trials and longer-term operational contracts, demonstrating a level of technical readiness and operational assurance not currently matched by other suppliers.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06da77
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/092726-2026
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
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

CPV Codes

34621000 - Railway maintenance or service vehicles, and railway freight wagons

34940000 - Railway equipment

73100000 - Research and experimental development services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£700,000 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
£700,000 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
1 Oct 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
4 Aug 20262 months ago
Contract Period
1 Oct 2026 - 30 Sep 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd
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
Postcode Area
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

Laser Tribology B.V.

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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