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Rail Operating system and Software support

SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY LIMITED

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

16 Sep 2026 at 15:45

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

20 Aug 2026 at 16:30

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

20 Aug 2026 at 16:25

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

South Western Railway Limited procured rail operating system and software support services. The requirement is for a platform supporting stock and crew rostering and train planning so the railway can deliver its train service. The arrangement covers continued operation of the existing system while a partial replacement platform is implemented and the remaining requirement is addressed separately. The work is delivered across England, supporting railway operations in multiple English regions. This is a specialist operational technology and software support requirement rather than a general IT services contract. It is relevant to suppliers with rail-sector systems, train planning, rostering, operational software integration and business-critical service support capabilities.

The procurement is complete and was awarded through a direct award under the utilities regime. Worldline IT Services UK Limited was selected as the sole supplier on 20 August 2026, and the contract was signed on 1 September 2026. The awarded and contracted value is £4,307,434 excluding VAT, or £5,168,920.80 including VAT. The contract period runs from 2 September 2026 to 31 March 2029. The award records an interim arrangement extending to 31 March 2031, while the contract records the shorter active period. The direct award was justified on intellectual-property or exclusive-rights grounds: Worldline’s systems are business-critical, deeply integrated into South Western Railway’s operational architecture and require substantial replacement work before they can be replaced.

This award indicates demand for suppliers able to support business-critical railway software during a complex transition between legacy and replacement platforms. A credible competitor for a future requirement would need strong capability in stock and crew rostering, train planning, rail-service delivery systems, software support and operational technology integration. Experience of maintaining continuity while two systems operate concurrently would be important, including migration, testing, parallel running and controlled replacement. Suppliers would also need to demonstrate dependable service performance against availability, response-time and resolution-time measures. The requirement is suited to an established provider with sufficient capacity for large, geographically distributed railway operations and the technical depth to work within an integrated operational architecture.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Rail Operating system and Software support

Notice Description

Provision of a platform to allow stock and crew rostering and train planning for delivery of the train service. Direct award for an interim period to allow continuity of service whilst a partial replacement system is implemented and the remainder is tendered.

Procurement Information

Single supplier - intellectual property or exclusive rights Worldline systems are business-critical, deeply integrated into SWR's operational architecture, and cannot be replaced without 12-18 months of scoping, development, migration, testing, and parallel running. The replacement platform is still being implemented, requiring both systems to operate concurrently to maintain operational reliability and avoid unacceptable service disruption. The original agreement cannot be extended, and no suitable DPS or competitive procedure could be completed within the required timescales without materially impacting rail service delivery.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06e8ff
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/087899-2026
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
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£4,307,434 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
£4,307,434 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
16 Sep 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
20 Aug 20262 months ago
Contract Period
2 Sep 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 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
SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY 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 9LQ
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)
TLI44 Lewisham and Southwark
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Southwark
Electoral Ward
Borough & Bankside
Westminster Constituency
Bermondsey and Old Southwark

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

WORLDLINE IT SERVICES UK LIMITED

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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