---
title: "Class 150 & 156 Automatic Sanding Modification Upgrade"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-04fb19"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04fb19"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04fb19.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04fb19.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED"
published: "2025-06-04"
---

# Class 150 & 156 Automatic Sanding Modification Upgrade

Buyer: NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-04fb19

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## Summary

Northern Trains Limited, a public authority serving the central government, has completed the procurement process for the "Class 150 & 156 Automatic Sanding Modification Upgrade." The project focuses on the rail industry, specifically targeting maintenance and service vehicles across regions UKC, UKD, and UKE in the United Kingdom. Initiated via a direct award to AtkinsRéalis Rail & Transit Limited, the procurement phase began on 8th May 2025 with an active contract running until 6th November 2026. The modification upgrade follows recommendations from the RAIB report concerning the Salisbury Tunnel Junction collision, aiming to install automatic sanding equipment on Class 150 and 156 fleets to enhance safety and standardise sanding responses under low adhesion conditions.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses within the railway maintenance sector, especially those specialising in safety equipment and software integration. AtkinsRéalis was chosen due to its proprietary rights and expertise in the existing Wheel Slip Protection system, which underscores the importance of possessing intellectual property and technical know-how in securing such projects. Companies with similar capabilities could seek collaborations or sub-contracting opportunities to gain insights and experience, potentially positioning themselves to compete for future projects requiring proprietary technology adaptation and critical safety modifications.

## Notice

Following the publication of the RAIB report 12/2023 into the Salisbury Tunnel Junction collision of October 2021 and subsequent conclusions, there is direct recommendation to install automatic sanding equipment on all fleets. As such Northern is looking to develop automatic sanding modification on Northern's Cl.150 and Cl.156 fleets. NTL have assessed our fleet and this notice is to direct award an agreement which will see a modification to the already installed WSP system to permit automatic sanding on cl.150 and cl.156 units (qty 288 vehicles all DMS/DMSL). With the exception of Northern's Cl.150 & CL.156 fleets, all fleets are installed with automatic sanding systems that deposit sand onto the railhead under the third axle at a fixed rate, triggered immediately when a unit encounters low adhesion. Where as the 15x fleets are fitted with Single Fixed Rate Sanding systems which further inadequacies of standard SFRS systems were highlighted after the Salisbury collision. The project scope is to: * Modify already fitted SFRS system as to enable automatic sanding across the Class 150s & 156s o Which will improve and standardise sanding response time once a unit has encountered low adhesion conditions and remove the human element. * The modification is planned to have as many units completed before leaf fall 2025 on all Northern Cl.150 and Cl.156 units as to mitigate the risk of further incidents moving forward.

### Procurement Information

The purpose of this direct award is to facilitate a critical modification to the hardware and interlinking software of the Wheel Slip Protection (WSP) system currently installed across NTL's 150 and 156 fleets. This modification is essential to enhance the safety and performance of the existing system. Rationale for Direct Award: Proprietary Rights and Expertise: AtkinsRealis (formerly SNC-Lavalin) holds the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) for the WSP solution that was initially installed. The original equipment was fitted between May and September 2020, following funding from Network Rail (NWR) aimed at improving the safety of these units. Given their ownership of the IPR and their deep understanding of the system, AtkinsRealis is uniquely positioned to execute the required modifications. Continuity and Compatibility: The solution being procured through this notice involves further modifications to the existing system. As the original installer and IPR holder, AtkinsRealis possesses the necessary technical knowledge and expertise to ensure seamless integration and compatibility with the current setup. Engaging a different supplier would likely result in significant compatibility issues and potential safety risks.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/029761-2025 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 4 Jun 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 1 Apr 2025 |
| Contract period | 7 May 2025 - 6 Nov 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £973,000 |
| Contracts value | £973,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED |
| Locality | YORK |
| Post town | York |
| Postcode | YO1 6JT |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLE Yorkshire and The Humber |
| ITL 2 | TLE2 North Yorkshire |
| ITL 3 | TLE21 York |
| Local authority | York |
| Electoral ward | Micklegate |
| Westminster constituency | York Central |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | ATKINSRÉALIS RAIL & TRANSIT |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

### Codes

- 34621200 - Railway maintenance or service vehicles

## Release History

- 4 Jun 2025 at 09:48 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/029761-2025
- 23 Apr 2025 at 13:47 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016568-2025
- 1 Apr 2025 at 09:45 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012165-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/029761-2025
  4th June 2025 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016568-2025
  23rd April 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012165-2025
  1st April 2025 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.atkinsrealis.com
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-h6vhtk-04fb19. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04fb19.json.