---
title: "Rail Replacement Service - Bus and Coach Operators"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-060348"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-060348"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-060348.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-060348.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "TRANSPORT FOR WALES RAIL LIMITED (UTILITY BUYER)"
published: "2026-05-22"
---

# Rail Replacement Service - Bus and Coach Operators

Buyer: TRANSPORT FOR WALES RAIL LIMITED (UTILITY BUYER)  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-060348

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## Summary

Transport for Wales Rail Limited (TfWRL) is actively managing a procurement process for a Rail Replacement Service encompassing bus and coach operators across Wales and border routes with England. The procurement process is at the tender stage, with a public undertaking to manage pre-planned and emergency rail replacement services. The framework will be active until 2034, covering regions UKL, UKF, UKH, UKI, UKC, UKD, UKJ, UKK, UKG, and UKE in the United Kingdom. Key upcoming dates include the tender closure on 10 June 2026 and the completion of the award process by 16 July 2026.

This tender offers substantial opportunities for business growth, particularly for SMEs and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs). Well-suited businesses include those providing public road transport services, special-purpose passenger transport, and the hire of passenger vehicles with drivers. With gross procurement valued at over £97 million, this open competitive procedure aims to establish a flexible framework for services across various lots, encouraging diverse participation and potential market expansion in transport logistics across multiple UK regions.

## Notice

Transport for Wales Rail (TfWRL) are in-housing the co-ordination and management of Rail Replacement Service (RRS) across Wales and Border routes operated by TfWRL within Wales and between Wales and England. Or any such route operated by TfW as may arise in future. This means that all pre-planned and emergency rail replacement services currently provided by coach and bus operators through an aggregator agreement, will be contracted for as services, directly by TfWRL. This procurement also includes the requirement for adhoc travel services to be commissioned via this framework as they arise. Based upon 24/25 Financial year data, approximately 6,000 emergency duties and 21,000 planned duties were delivered by circa 135 different operators. It is currently intended the Open Framework will run for the maximum 8 year term.

### Lot Information

Part 1 Lot 1: Emergency (up to 48 hours)

Duties to be offered with up to 48 Hours Notice.

Parts 2 & 3 Lot 2: Pre-Planned

Part 2 Lot 2: Pre-Planned (48 hours to 14 days) Part 3 Lot 2: Pre-Planned (over 14 days)

Part 4 Lot 3: Mini-Competition (over 14 days)

Larger groups of duties/blockades over a longer period of time. Each variable, dependant upon the specific need for rail replacement services at the time.

### Planning Information

This notice is issued solely for the purpose of gathering market intelligence and does not constitute a call for competition or a commitment to a formal procurement process at this stage.
Through this early market engagement exercise, Transport for Wales Rail Limited the Contracting Authority seeks to:
1. Hold a series of Meet the Buyer market engagement events across Wales, to share its future vision with operators for future service provision of the planned change to in-house the co-ordination and management of the Rail Replacement Service. 
2. Understand the level of operator market interest in supplying all emergency and pre-planned rail replacement services directly to TfW by participating in any future procurement opportunity.
3. Provide updates of its procurement process, timescales and current strategy.
4. Obtain information to help inform the specification e.g. duty allocation method, setting of appropriate service level KPI’s; pricing options and options for geographical zoning etc.
5. Obtain insight from operators of the challenges they face in delivering the service and provide suggestions as to how it may be improved
6. Understand any operator risks, including any associated risks and mitigations when providing this service. 
7. Challenges Transport for Wales Rail Limited may not have considered.
TfW currently plan to hold 4 regional events and 1 virtual event as follows: Llandudno, Shrewsbury, Pontypridd and Carmarthen. Please be advised if registration to attend these events is low, then the event may be cancelled and operators encouraged to attend the virtual session.
TfW are being supported by Business Wales, who will manage the operator event registration process. How to register for these events will be posted on the Business Wales website (events page) in the coming days and may be found on the following links https://wales.business-events.org.uk/ or https://wales.business-events.org.uk/cy/ 
The events will be held between the 4th - 13th February, and subject to capacity, TfW may hold further 121 sessions if operators express an interest. All market engagement events will be concluded by the 27th February. 
If there are any specific topics relating to the Rail Replacement Service you would like to see covered during these events, please email TFW.RRSOperators@tfwrail.wales 
Please note the target audience for these events is operators of bus, coach and minibus etc. Rail Replacement services supported by Taxi operators is not part of the scope of this particular exercise. 
All events will cover the same content, hence only one event need be attended per operator.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/048289-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Competitive flexible procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning, Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 22 May 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 10 Jun 2026 |
| Future notice date | 6 Apr 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 23 Jul 2026 - 23 Jul 2034 |
| Recurrence | 2027-01-22 |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £81,008,616 |
| Lots value | £81,008,616 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | TRANSPORT FOR WALES RAIL LIMITED (UTILITY BUYER) |
| Additional buyers | TRANSPORT FOR WALES |
| Locality | PONTYPRIDD |
| Post town | Cardiff |
| Postcode | CF37 4TH |
| Country | Wales |
| ITL 1 | TLL Wales |
| ITL 2 | TLL5 South East Wales |
| ITL 3 | TLL51 Central Valleys and Bridgend |
| Local authority | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| Electoral ward | Pontypridd Town |
| Westminster constituency | Pontypridd |
| Delivery location | TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England), TLL Wales |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

### Codes

- 60112000 - Public road transport services
- 60130000 - Special-purpose road passenger-transport services
- 60140000 - Non-scheduled passenger transport
- 60170000 - Hire of passenger transport vehicles with driver

## Release History

- 22 May 2026 at 17:10 - TenderUpdate - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/048289-2026
- 27 Apr 2026 at 16:56 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038244-2026
- 9 Jan 2026 at 17:25 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002064-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/048289-2026
  22nd May 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038244-2026
  27th April 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002064-2026
  9th January 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- https://tfw.my.site.com/login
  All associated tender documents are available free of charge by registering on the named e-procurement portal. Additional tender support for SME's in Wales is available by contacting the Business Wales Tender Support Service on 03000 6 03000 Further details are available on the Business Wales website: https://businesswales.gov.wales/topics-and-guidance/tendering-and-supply-chain

## Notice URLs

- http://www.tfwrail.wales
- http://www.tfwrail.wales/
- https://businesswales.gov.wales/topics-and-guidance/tendering-and-supply-chain
- https://wales.business-events.org.uk/
- https://wales.business-events.org.uk/cy/
- 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-060348. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-060348.json.