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VEAT Notice - Class 397 Train Services Agreement

Transpennine Trains Limited

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

28 Sep 2026 at 16:49

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Transpennine Trains Limited procured an extension to its existing Train Services Agreement for maintenance of its Class 397 train fleet. The requirement is rolling-stock maintenance services (CPV 50222000), continuing the arrangement for the Class 397 units rather than introducing a new fleet or a wider rail maintenance programme. The work supports the continued availability of these trains for public use. Delivery is in the United Kingdom. The contract is a single-lot extension to the existing agreement, and the selected supplier is the incumbent maintenance partner, Alstom Transport UK Limited.

The procurement is complete and was awarded to Alstom Transport UK Limited. The contract was signed on 8 September 2026, with an awarded contract value of £34,168,000. The extension aligns with the end of the existing lease for the Class 397 units; the buyer is working on a future maintenance strategy and states that it is reviewing whether to compete the services in future after 2031. The buyer used a limited award procedure without prior publication of a competition. Its stated reasons were the supplier’s technical engineering knowledge as the existing maintenance partner, a previous competitive procurement abandoned because it was unaffordable, and the added cost and fleet-availability risk of running that procurement again.

For suppliers considering similar future work for Transpennine Trains, this award shows demand for continued maintenance of its Class 397 fleet and the importance of keeping trains available for public service. A credible competitor would need demonstrable Class 397 technical engineering and maintenance expertise, including the ability to advise on the fleet and take over or sustain an established train services agreement. The buyer’s rationale indicates that continuity, technical familiarity and the cost and operational risks of transition matter alongside the maintenance service itself. Suppliers should be able to offer an affordable approach and manage fleet-availability risk. The incumbent’s position was decisive in this award, so a future entrant would need evidence that it can match the relevant fleet knowledge and deliver continuity at a sustainable cost. The buyer is reviewing its longer-term maintenance strategy.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

VEAT Notice - Class 397 Train Services Agreement

Notice Description

VEAT Notice for a time extension to TPT's Class 397 Train Services Agreement ('TSA') for maintenance.

Procurement Information

The proposed supplier is the existing maintenance partner of the Class 397 units and therefore uniquely placed from a technical engineering advisory perspective (Technical Grounds). TPE ran a competitive procurement for these services, which resulted in abandonment due to affordability. Re-running this procurement would add unnecessary cost and risk availability of the fleet for public use (Public Good). TransPennine Express is awarding this contract to coincide with the end of our existing lease for these units, whilst simultaneously working on a future strategy for the maintenance of this fleet, reviewing competing this services in the future (post 2031).

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-077bdd
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091588-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
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

50 - Repair and maintenance services

CPV Codes

50222000 - Repair and maintenance services of rolling stock

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£34,168,000 £10M-£100M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
28 Sep 20261 weeks 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
Transpennine 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
MANCHESTER
Postcode
M1 6LT
Postcode Area
Manchester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD3 Greater Manchester
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD33 Manchester
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Manchester
Electoral Ward
Piccadilly
Westminster Constituency
Manchester Central

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

ALSTOM TRANSPORT UK LIMITED

Further Information

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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