--- title: "Market Engagement Questionnaire for T1418 How can batteries make the DC network safer and more cost effective?" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06b002" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06b002" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b002.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b002.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "RAIL SAFETY STANDARDS BOARD (RSSB)" published: "2026-06-08" --- # Market Engagement Questionnaire for T1418 How can batteries make the DC network safer and more cost effective? Buyer: RAIL SAFETY STANDARDS BOARD (RSSB) Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06b002 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06b002) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b002.json) ## Summary The Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB), located in London, is currently in the planning stage for a procurement process titled "Market Engagement Questionnaire for T1418: How can batteries make the DC network safer and more cost-effective?". This project falls within the 'Research services' industry category and involves addressing safety and cost concerns on the DC electrification network, predominantly used in the south of England and parts of the North-West. The project is listed under procurement ID ocds-h6vhtk-06b002-053890-2026 and is valued at £180,000 (net). The planning phase includes a key engagement milestone scheduled for 24 June 2026. The procurement process, governed by legal basis UKPGA 2023/54, will eventually start the contract period from 1 September 2026, concluding on 1 June 2027. This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in research services, particularly those focused on railway safety, electrical systems, and innovative energy solutions. Companies with expertise in developing retrofit battery systems, cost-effective safety solutions for electrified rail settings, or comprehensive transition strategies for rolling stock and infrastructure may find this opportunity aligns well with their capabilities. Effective engagement in this tender could lead to substantial business growth by establishing partnerships with the RSSB and demonstrating impactful innovations in rail electrification safety and efficiency. The procurement process officially commences with planned market engagement and is open for pre-engagement responses via the specified eSourcing portal. ## Notice DC electrification is a system used to provide electric traction power to trains via an exposed conductor rail, commonly described as the '3rd rail'. The 3rd rail system is predominantly used in the south of England but is also used by the Merseyside commuter rail network in the North-West. Because of its accessible position on the ground next to the running rails, 3rd rail systems pose an electrical safety risk to the public and railway staff. To address these concerns in a cost-effective way, small retrofittable batteries could be used to allow trains to run between modest gaps in 3rd rail. This would allow removal of live 3rd rail at higher risk location such as stations, level crossing, and junctions. Elimination of certain sections of the DC network, such as at switch and crossing junctions, could also result in maintenance productivity gains. RSSB project T1272 'Compatibility and optimisation considerations for rolling stock traction batteries and battery charging' (T1272 Phase 1b Report FINAL - Page 64) indicated that a modest sized battery of 100 kWh could potentially remove larger parts of the DC network and allow a train to move through up to two kilometres of traction power disruptions. The introduction of batteries for these aims must consider capital and operational costs, the engineering and operational controls that would be needed, and the transition strategy for both rolling stock and infrastructure. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-London:-Research-services./F3ZBDSMB6C To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/F3ZBDSMB6C ### Planning Information 24/06/2026 ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053890-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 8 Jun 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 24 Jun 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 31 Aug 2026 - 1 Jun 2027 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £180,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | RAIL SAFETY STANDARDS BOARD (RSSB) | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | Central London | | Postcode | EC3M 5AD | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLI London | | ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West | | ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London | | Local authority | City of London | | Electoral ward | Aldgate | | Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ### Codes - 73110000 - Research services ## Release History - 8 Jun 2026 at 14:23 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053890-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053890-2026 8th June 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/F3ZBDSMB6C - https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-London:-Research-services./F3ZBDSMB6C - 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-06b002. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b002.json.