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Passenger Services Cost Benchmarking Study

OFFICE OF RAIL AND ROAD

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

27 Oct 2026 at 14:04

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is seeking research and consultancy services for a passenger rail operating-cost benchmarking study. The work will strengthen understanding of the factors that drive train operating expenditure and how those factors relate to one another. It will develop suitable benchmarking methods and a practical framework for comparing costs and performance across passenger rail operations. ORR intends to use the evidence to assess relative efficiency, identify opportunities to improve efficiency and cost control, support advice to funders, and inform value-for-money analysis and its future regulatory work. The study concerns passenger train services across Great Britain; the procurement identifies the delivery location as the United Kingdom.

The buyer invited offers through an open competition. The tender set an enquiry deadline of 9 November 2026 at 17:00 and a submission deadline of 23 November 2026 at 17:00. The single contract is scheduled to run from 4 December 2026 to 3 December 2027. Its estimated value is £90,000 excluding VAT (£108,000 including VAT). The contract is restricted to UK suppliers. The award assessment gives 45% to methodology, 25% to experience, 20% to cost and value for money, and 10% to delivery. Electronic submission is permitted, using the buyer’s e-tendering portal.

This opportunity is suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and is open to UK suppliers. It will suit research and economic consultancy firms able to analyse rail operating expenditure and build robust comparative benchmarks. Relevant strengths include identifying and testing cost drivers, selecting defensible benchmarking methods, and translating analysis into a practical framework for assessing efficiency and value for money. Experience is a substantial part of the assessment, alongside methodology, so suppliers should be able to demonstrate relevant past work. Delivery capability also matters, while the largest single assessment share is assigned to the proposed methodology. The work is focused on passenger rail operations and will inform regulatory analysis, advice to funders and future cost-performance assessment.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Passenger Services Cost Benchmarking Study

Notice Description

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the independent economic and safety regulator of Britain's railways. ORR is developing its capability to assess the efficiency, productivity and value for money of passenger train operations. Historically, passenger services have been delivered through a range of Train Operating Companies (TOCs), each with differing operating characteristics, service patterns and cost structures. As most of the industry moves towards a more integrated railway structure, ORR requires a robust framework for understanding variations in train operating expenditure and for benchmarking performance across the railway. Previous analytical work has demonstrated that econometric benchmarking of the cost of passenger operators is feasible using Great Britain rail industry data and has identified several statistically significant drivers of operating costs. However, further work is required to strengthen understanding of the key cost drivers and the relationships between them, identify appropriate benchmarking methodologies, and develop a practical framework that drives better value for money through comparative analysis, helping to identify opportunities for efficiency improvements and enhanced cost control. A robust cost benchmarking framework will support ORR's future regulatory role by providing an evidence base for understanding cost variation, assessing relative efficiency and identifying opportunities for improvement. The outputs from this study will help inform future cost performance assessment, advice to funders and value-for-money analysis across passenger rail services.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-07914c
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/101583-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

CPV Codes

73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£90,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
£90,000 Under £100K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
27 Oct 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
23 Nov 20263 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
4 Dec 2026 - 3 Dec 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
OFFICE OF RAIL AND ROAD
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
E14 4QZ
Postcode Area
East London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI42 Tower Hamlets
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Tower Hamlets
Electoral Ward
Canary Wharf
Westminster Constituency
Poplar and Limehouse

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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