--- title: "RSSB2757 - T1161 Improvements to pantograph collector strips maintenance and to Automatic Dropping Device" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-03f53e52-ed44-447f-bd43-cfdb21c67519" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-03f53e52-ed44-447f-bd43-cfdb21c67519" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-03f53e52-ed44-447f-bd43-cfdb21c67519.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-03f53e52-ed44-447f-bd43-cfdb21c67519.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "RAIL SAFETY AND STANDARDS BOARD LIMITED" published: "2019-01-18" --- # RSSB2757 - T1161 Improvements to pantograph collector strips maintenance and to Automatic Dropping Device Buyer: RAIL SAFETY AND STANDARDS BOARD LIMITED Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-b5fd17-03f53e52-ed44-447f-bd43-cfdb21c67519 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-03f53e52-ed44-447f-bd43-cfdb21c67519) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-03f53e52-ed44-447f-bd43-cfdb21c67519.json) ## Summary The Rail Safety and Standards Board Limited is currently engaged in a procurement process for the project titled "RSSB2757 - T1161 Improvements to pantograph collector strips maintenance and to Automatic Dropping Device". This tender falls under the category of research and development services and aims to enhance maintenance practices and design improvements for critical railway components. The procurement method employed is an open procedure, and the tender period is set to conclude on 1st February 2019. The resulting contract is scheduled to commence on 4th February 2019 and will extend until 31st October 2019, with a total budget of £130,000. The work will take place at a delivery address located in London, EC2M 2RB. This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses involved in research and development, particularly those specialising in engineering, railway technologies, and maintenance services. Companies capable of innovating wear management strategies or enhancing existing technologies for pantograph systems will find this contract especially relevant. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are encouraged to participate, as they often bring agile solutions and fresh perspectives to the railway sector, contributing to advancements in both safety and efficiency. ## Notice This research focuses on: 1. Identification of cost-effective wear management strategies together with novel technological options for the collector strip. The collector strips (or carbon strips) in contact with the OLE contact wire are the key component for the transmission of electrical energy between OLE infrastructure and the train. When the train is in motion, the strips are subjected to abrasion, electrical damage and fatigue eventually reaching their electrical and mechanical engineering limits. Hence, they must be regularly inspected and renewed (every 10-30 weeks ). 2. Improvements to the Automatic Dropping Device (ADD), a component of the pantograph. Closely allied to the collector strips is the ADD, a feature of most pantographs operating on Network Rail infrastructure. Its role is to drop the pantograph in the event of significant damage to the pantograph head and/or collector strips as a protective measure. Further damage to the pantograph and strip could lead to dewirement. Dewirements are a significant cost to the industry with safety implications (major dewirement incidents include injuries to passengers and/or track workers), but they primarily impact the performance and reliability of the service. This project will contribute to improving the reliability and performance of pantographs while reducing maintenance costs, system failure costs and to some extent, reducing dewirement delay costs and incidents. T1060 (RSSB, 2018) looked at past dewirement cases and identified some causes and risks. The report recommended to review the effectiveness of the ADD system in preventing or mitigating the escalation of dewirement events. It noted that in a proportion of cases, the ADD position on the pantograph assembly is not always optimised for all rolling stock types. The project also identified opportunities to improve the ADD system. Although, the definition of dewirement excludes regular wear and tear of OLE wires or pantograph carbon strips, they can become contributory factors to a more damaging event if not managed properly. There has been discussion at the VTE SIC around the need for an agreed industry position on the wear of pantograph collector strips. Network Rail Ltd is working with suppliers and the University of Milan to understand wear on the OLE, but no work has been undertaken to understand collector strip wear. Currently, there is an inconsistent approach across the industry to manage collector strip wear and no Whole Life Cycle (WLC) analysis is available to inform this. The other highly relevant piece of research, T346 (RSSB, 2012), investigated the potential for improvements in electrification systems. It provided an assessment of the latest technological developments in both collector strips and ADD, laying down the areas for further improvements (e.g. alternative carbon material with lower wear rate and alternative ADD systems with faster response times). ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/be42c359-0fe9-4ad1-b3e3-775f6e60c5bd | | Notice type | Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure (below threshold) | | Tender suitability | SME | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 18 Jan 2019 | | Submission deadline | 1 Feb 2019 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 4 Feb 2019 - 31 Oct 2019 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £130,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | RAIL SAFETY AND STANDARDS BOARD LIMITED | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | Central London | | Postcode | EC2M 2RB | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLI London | | ITL 2 | TLI4 Inner London - East | | ITL 3 | TLI43 Haringey and Islington | | Local authority | Islington | | Electoral ward | Bunhill | | Westminster constituency | Islington South and Finsbury | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ### Codes - 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ## Release History - 18 Jan 2019 at 15:25 - TenderAmendment - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/be42c359-0fe9-4ad1-b3e3-775f6e60c5bd - 17 Jan 2019 at 14:10 - TenderAmendment - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/be42c359-0fe9-4ad1-b3e3-775f6e60c5bd - 21 Dec 2018 at 13:54 - TenderAmendment - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/be42c359-0fe9-4ad1-b3e3-775f6e60c5bd - 7 Dec 2018 at 10:50 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/be42c359-0fe9-4ad1-b3e3-775f6e60c5bd ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/be42c359-0fe9-4ad1-b3e3-775f6e60c5bd 18th January 2019 - Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/320683c1-d57e-4c53-99e6-3921dba625c2 RSRSSB2757 - T1161 Improvements to pantograph collector strips maintenance - I.T.T - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/49134343-1e59-4edc-a4e8-864dbafd10f7 RSRSSB2757 - T1161 - Terms and Conditions - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/6eadf7cf-d769-4ab5-a335-c32ac2dd9ff2 Commercial Pricing Schedule - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/df37484c-bd83-4c87-ab7c-bd4a58625dbb RSRSSB2757 - T1161 Improvements to pantograph collector strips maintenance - Tender Question and Answer - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/8fd8c0dc-ad95-4154-8c36-0853d5327f4c RSSB2755 - T1160 - Decarbonisation and air quality improvement - Tender Question and Answer - 09th January - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/054112cf-8aae-4f7c-a15d-d30c14b8e038 RSRSSB2757 - T1161 Improvements to pantograph collector strips maintenance - Tender Question and Answer - 18th January ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-03f53e52-ed44-447f-bd43-cfdb21c67519. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-03f53e52-ed44-447f-bd43-cfdb21c67519.json.