---
title: "PBE Maintenance Support of Axel Wireless products on the GSM-R Network"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06f054"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06f054"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f054.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f054.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd"
published: "2026-09-02"
---

# PBE Maintenance Support of Axel Wireless products on the GSM-R Network

Buyer: Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06f054

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## Summary

Network Rail Infrastructure Limited procured third-level maintenance, repair and technical support for its bespoke Axell repeater equipment and associated Axell Element Manager platform. These telecommunications systems are used across Network Rail’s GSM-R railway communications network. The requirement covers the Axell repeater estate and the technical platform used to manage it, supporting the continued operation and technical integrity of the network. The work is delivered across the United Kingdom. This is a specialist telecommunications equipment maintenance service, classified under CPV 50330000. The buyer is Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, a central government public authority operating in the utilities sector. The procurement was arranged as a single completed lot covering the whole requirement.

This procurement has been awarded through a direct award, using the utilities regime. The stated award date is 2 September 2026, and the selected supplier is PBE Europe Limited. The award value is £3,740,000 excluding VAT, or £4,484,000 including VAT. The contract period runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2036. The buyer’s rationale was that PBE Europe is the only supplier with the required third-level technical knowledge, proprietary expertise and intellectual property rights following its acquisition of Axell Wireless. The buyer identified significant technical, operational and interoperability risks with alternative suppliers. The procurement was evaluated on the basis of the supplier’s exclusive technical capability to maintain the Axell equipment and platform.

This award demonstrates sustained demand from Network Rail for highly specialised support of Axell wireless communications equipment within a GSM-R environment. Suppliers seeking comparable future work would need proven capability in third-level maintenance, fault diagnosis, repair and technical support for Axell repeaters, together with expertise in the Axell Element Manager platform. Credibility would also depend on access to the relevant intellectual property, proprietary technical knowledge and specialist engineering expertise. Competitors would need to show that they can maintain interoperability with the existing railway communications network while controlling technical and operational risk. Experience supporting safety-critical or nationally important telecommunications infrastructure would strengthen a supplier’s position, alongside the organisational capacity to support a large, complex equipment estate across the United Kingdom.

## Notice

Support agreement for the provision of third-level maintenance, repair and technical support services for the bespoke Axell repeater estate and associated Axell Element Manager (AEM) platform used across the GSM-R network.

### Procurement Information

PBE Europe Ltd is the only supplier capable of providing the required third-level maintenance, repair and technical support services for the Axell repeater estate and Axell Element Manager (AEM) platform, having inherited the associated intellectual property rights, technical knowledge and proprietary expertise following its acquisition of Axell Wireless Ltd. There is no reasonable alternative supplier capable of delivering the requirement without introducing significant technical, operational and interoperability risks.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/083031-2026 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 2 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Oct 2026 - 30 Sep 2036 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £3,740,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd |
| 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 |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | PBE Europe Limited |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 50 - Repair and maintenance services

### Codes

- 50330000 - Maintenance services of telecommunications equipment

## Release History

- 2 Sep 2026 at 12:34 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/083031-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/083031-2026
  2nd September 2026 - Transparency 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-06f054. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f054.json.