---
title: "RSGR0003 - National Rail Travel Survey - Discovery Phase"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-eabb168e-c582-4bbf-a34e-d61bb5d0cb10"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-eabb168e-c582-4bbf-a34e-d61bb5d0cb10"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-eabb168e-c582-4bbf-a34e-d61bb5d0cb10.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-eabb168e-c582-4bbf-a34e-d61bb5d0cb10.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "THE DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT"
published: "2026-09-16"
---

# RSGR0003 - National Rail Travel Survey - Discovery Phase

Buyer: THE DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-eabb168e-c582-4bbf-a34e-d61bb5d0cb10

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## Summary

The Department for Transport appointed a supplier to deliver the discovery phase of the National Rail Travel Survey. The work is research and related consultancy focused on developing or informing a national survey of rail travel. Delivery covers the United Kingdom and may also involve the British Overseas Territories, Channel Islands, Europe, the Isle of Man and other locations worldwide. This is a public-sector transport research requirement rather than a construction, infrastructure or routine rail-operating contract. It is suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises, and the buyer’s stated requirement allows either a single supplier or a consortium to undertake the work. The buyer is the Department for Transport, based in London, and the work is being commissioned as a services contract.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded. The Department for Transport used a selective call-off from a framework agreement, with tender responses due by 17 August 2026 at 09:00. Systra Limited was selected on 7 September 2026 for £499,734 including the stated currency, GBP. The contract period runs from 21 September 2026 to 20 March 2027. The requirement is a single procurement for the National Rail Travel Survey discovery phase, classified as research and development and related consultancy services. The award is active and covers the same six-month delivery period. The recorded procurement category is services, and the process was conducted through a framework call-off rather than an open competition.

This award identifies a buyer with a defined need for national-scale rail travel research and consultancy, giving relevant suppliers a clear benchmark for future work with the Department for Transport. Credible competitors would need to design and deliver robust transport surveys, understand rail passenger behaviour and travel patterns, and turn research findings into practical evidence for policy or service planning. The requirement is suited to organisations that can manage a discovery phase from research design through analysis and reporting, coordinate delivery across the UK and potentially international or overseas territories, and provide sufficient project management and analytical capacity. SMEs are explicitly considered suitable, while a consortium model allows complementary survey, rail, data and consultancy expertise to be combined.

## Notice

The Department for Transport (DfT) is seeking to appoint a supplier (or consortium) to deliver the National Rail Travel Survey (NRTS) Discovery Phase

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/a3e392da-9a0d-474c-82da-a58586df83a1 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a framework agreement |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 16 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 7 Sep 2026 |
| Contract period | 21 Sep 2026 - 20 Mar 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £499,734 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £499,734 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | THE DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Postcode area | Not specified |
| Postcode | Not specified |
| Country | Not specified |
| ITL 1 | Not specified |
| ITL 2 | Not specified |
| ITL 3 | Not specified |
| Local authority | Not specified |
| Electoral ward | Not specified |
| Westminster constituency | Not specified |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | SYSTRA LIMITED |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

## Release History

- 16 Sep 2026 at 08:23 - AwardUpdate - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/a3e392da-9a0d-474c-82da-a58586df83a1
- 16 Sep 2026 at 08:22 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/a3e392da-9a0d-474c-82da-a58586df83a1

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/a3e392da-9a0d-474c-82da-a58586df83a1
  16th September 2026 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/bdf651d7-def2-4a26-ad7c-a2af3e663f27
  n/a
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/dcd8851b-5266-4e66-962d-691c6b8ac758
  n/a

## 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-eabb168e-c582-4bbf-a34e-d61bb5d0cb10. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-eabb168e-c582-4bbf-a34e-d61bb5d0cb10.json.