Planning

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

PME for Emergency Rolling Stock Recovery, Re-railing and Wheel-Skating Services

Direct Rail Services Limited

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

07 Oct 2026 at 10:57

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Direct Rail Services Limited intends to procure emergency railway rolling-stock recovery, re-railing and wheel-skating services. The work is to support the recovery and movement of rail vehicles following incidents, including putting derailed rolling stock back onto the track and moving it using wheel-skates. The procurement is categorised as railway transport support services. The information request concerns one lot and is aimed at understanding the market for these specialist services. The buyer is Direct Rail Services Limited, a rail operator based in Carlisle. The data does not identify specific delivery locations, so the work should be understood as supporting the buyer’s railway operations rather than being tied to a named site.

This is at the planning stage: Direct Rail Services Limited has set out an intention to procure and is conducting preliminary market engagement through a request for information, not inviting tenders. The buyer expects to publish a further notice on 4 January 2027. The planned contract period runs from 8 February 2027 to 7 February 2031. The estimated value is £500,000 excluding VAT (£600,000 including VAT). The procurement is arranged as a single lot, with small and medium-sized businesses considered suitable. The buyer has requested market responses by 22 October 2026 through its Atamis portal. This is an engagement date for responding to the information request, not a tender submission deadline. No award criteria or procurement procedure have yet been set out.

This engagement is relevant to suppliers able to provide specialist emergency rail recovery and rolling-stock handling services, including re-railing and wheel-skating. Firms with the equipment, trained personnel and operational readiness to respond to railway incidents are likely to be best placed to contribute to the market exercise and prepare for the later procurement. The buyer has expressly identified the requirement as suitable for SMEs, so smaller specialist providers may be relevant alongside larger rail engineering or recovery businesses. The request for information gives potential providers a chance to describe their services and inform the buyer’s understanding of the market before it issues a tender. Suppliers should consider whether they can deliver the combined recovery, re-railing and wheel-skating scope across the planned contract period.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

PME for Emergency Rolling Stock Recovery, Re-railing and Wheel-Skating Services

Notice Description

Request for Information for Emergency Rolling Stock Recovery, Re-railing and Wheel-Skating Services. Please respond to the RFI via the Atamis portal: https://atamis-2464.my.site.com/s/Welcome

Planning Information

PME for Emergency Rolling Stock Recovery, Re-railing and Wheel-Skating Services. Please respond to the RFI via the Atamis portal: https://atamis-2464.my.site.com/s/Welcome

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078254
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/094593-2026
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
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

63 - Supporting and auxiliary transport services; travel agencies services

CPV Codes

60200000 - Railway transport services

63711000 - Support services for railway transport

Notice Value(s)

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

Notice Dates

Publication Date
7 Oct 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
4 Jan 20273 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
8 Feb 2027 - 7 Feb 2031 4-5 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
Direct Rail Services 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
CARLISLE
Postcode
CA6 4SJ
Postcode Area
Carlisle
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD1 Cumbria
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD13 Cumberland
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Cumberland
Electoral Ward
Dalston and Burgh
Westminster Constituency
Carlisle

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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.

Loading OCDS record...