---
title: "Speed Management Programme - Speed Database Development"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06e672"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e672"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e672.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e672.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED"
published: "2026-08-18"
---

# Speed Management Programme - Speed Database Development

Buyer: NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06e672

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e672)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e672.json)

## Summary

Network Rail Infrastructure Limited intends to procure services to develop and deliver the National Speed Database, a central authoritative source for railway speed restriction information. The database is intended to provide warranted, real-time data covering permanent, junction, blanket, emergency and temporary speed restrictions through a nationally standardised interface. It will support in-cab speed information for railway stakeholders, improve protection against train overspeeding, strengthen safety and operational efficiency, and support network management. Railway undertakings will install and maintain their own speed display systems, such as driver advisory or train control management systems, so the supplier’s solution must interoperate with those systems and future European Train Control System deployment. The work is database software development services and is to be delivered for the rail industry under Network Rail’s Speed Management Programme.

This procurement is at the planning stage and is currently a preliminary market engagement exercise, not an invitation to tender. Network Rail expects to use the responses to assess supplier capability and shape its procurement strategy, requirements and future tender approach. Suppliers are expected to register interest by 21 September 2026, after which Network Rail plans an online briefing and a questionnaire-based consultation. The planned contract period is 13 December 2027 to 18 December 2028. The current recorded value is £0 gross in GBP; Network Rail states that it will confirm the estimated value when the tender process begins. There is one planned lot, and the procurement is treated as an above-threshold utilities services requirement.

This engagement will suit suppliers that can design, build and deliver authoritative, resilient databases for safety-critical or operational environments. Relevant capability includes managing real-time data, maintaining a single trusted source of information, developing nationally standardised interfaces and integrating with existing railway systems, including driver advisory systems, train control management systems and future European Train Control System deployments. Suppliers should be able to understand and model permanent, junction, blanket, emergency and temporary speed restrictions, and explain how their solution would reduce overspeed risk while supporting operational efficiency and network management. The lot is identified as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community and social enterprises. Interested suppliers should prepare for market engagement rather than a tender submission.

## Notice

To address the rail industry problem of train over speeding and the resulting risks, Network Rail has set up a Speed Management Programme with industry collaboration and oversight. The SMP aims to develop a Speed Management System (SMS) that enables real-time, in-cab information for Permanent (including junction speeds), Blanket, Emergency and Temporary Speed Restrictions (PSR, BSR, ESR, TSR), thereby reducing the risk of overspeed incidents, improving safety, operational efficiency, and supporting network management. To enable that, the SMS proposes a creation of the National Speed Database (SDB) which is the single version of the speed restrictions truth providing real-time warranted data to the industry. As per predefined boundaries of the programme, the Railway Undertakings (RU) will install and maintain their own Speed Display System (SDS), be it an existing Driver Advisory System (DAS), Train Control Management System or another device. The broadcast of speed restriction information will conform to a national standard to ensure interoperability with the RUs chosen system and any future deployment of ETCS. As part of the Speed Management Programme, Network Rail intends to procure a supplier to develop and deliver the National Speed Database (SDB). The SDB will act as the industry's authoritative source for speed restriction information and will support the provision of real-time speed restriction data to railway stakeholders through a nationally standardised interface. This exercise is intended to gather market insight, assess supplier capability and inform Network Rail's procurement strategy, requirements development and future tender approach for the delivery of this solution. We will confirm the Estimated Value when we start the Tender process.

### Planning Information

Suppliers wishing to participate should register their interest by emailing on MWESourcing@networkrail.co.uk. Following receipt of an expression of interest, suppliers will be provided with a detailed project overview together with a set of initial market engagement questions.
Network Rail will then hold an online market briefing session via Microsoft Teams. The purpose of this session is to provide additional information regarding the project, explain the objectives of the engagement exercise, and allow suppliers to ask questions. The date and time of the session will be confirmed in due course, and a Microsoft Teams invitation will be issued to all interested suppliers.
Following the market briefing, suppliers will receive a Microsoft Forms questionnaire containing a series of questions relating to the proposed requirement. Suppliers will be invited to submit their responses electronically through Microsoft Forms within the timeframe specified in the invitation.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078487-2026 |
| Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 18 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 21 Sep 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 13 Dec 2027 - 18 Dec 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| 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 | NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Postcode area | South East London |
| Postcode | SE1 8SW |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI4 Inner London - East |
| ITL 3 | TLI45 Lambeth |
| Local authority | Lambeth |
| Electoral ward | Waterloo & South Bank |
| Westminster constituency | Vauxhall and Camberwell Green |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

### Codes

- 72212610 - Database software development services

## Release History

- 18 Aug 2026 at 11:57 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078487-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078487-2026
  18th August 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.networkrail.co.uk/

## 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-06e672. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e672.json.