---
title: "Kent to Gatwick Strategic Statement"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06f1fd"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06f1fd"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f1fd.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f1fd.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "East Sussex County Council"
published: "2026-09-04"
---

# Kent to Gatwick Strategic Statement

Buyer: East Sussex County Council  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06f1fd

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## Summary

East Sussex County Council commissioned early development work for the Kent to Gatwick Strategic Statement. The work assesses the feasibility of reinstating direct passenger rail services between Kent and Gatwick Airport, building on findings from Network Rail’s Kent to Gatwick Strategic Advice report. This is a rail transport services requirement involving strategic assessment and feasibility development rather than routine passenger operations or construction. The work is being delivered in East Sussex for the council, with Network Rail Infrastructure Limited identified as the supplier. Businesses relevant to this requirement include rail infrastructure organisations, passenger rail specialists, transport planners and consultancies able to investigate service reinstatement, assess operational feasibility and develop evidence to support strategic transport decisions. The requirement relates specifically to improving potential rail connectivity between Kent and Gatwick Airport.

The procurement has been awarded and the tender is complete. East Sussex County Council used a direct award below the applicable threshold, without competition, under the Procurement Act 2023. Network Rail Infrastructure Limited was selected for the single lot. The contract was signed on 24 July 2026 and runs from 24 July 2026 to 31 October 2026. Its value is £65,267 excluding VAT, or £78,320 including VAT. The award is active and the contract is active. The requirement was evaluated through the direct-award route rather than competitive bids, with Network Rail appointed to undertake the early development and feasibility work. This outcome shows the council’s chosen delivery route and supplier for the Kent-to-Gatwick strategic rail assessment.

For a supplier that did not win this requirement, the procurement provides evidence of demand for specialist early-stage rail development work from East Sussex County Council. A credible future competitor would need expertise in assessing whether passenger rail services can be reinstated, including operational feasibility, infrastructure considerations, service planning and the preparation of strategic evidence. Knowledge of the Kent to Gatwick corridor and its transport needs would be directly relevant. The requirement also favours organisations able to build on earlier strategic advice, work with public-sector stakeholders and turn technical rail analysis into clear recommendations for investment or service decisions. Rail infrastructure companies, transport consultancies and passenger-rail specialists with comparable feasibility and strategic planning capability would be the most relevant potential providers when this type of work returns.

## Notice

Network Rail will undertake early development work to assess the feasibility of reinstating direct passenger rail services between Kent and Gatwick Airport, building on the findings of the Kent to Gatwick Strategic Advice (2024) report by Network Rail.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/083781-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - without competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 4 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 24 Jul 2026 - 31 Oct 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £65,267 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | East Sussex County Council |
| Locality | LEWES |
| Postcode area | Brighton |
| Postcode | BN7 1UE |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ2 Surrey, East and West Sussex |
| ITL 3 | TLJ22 East Sussex CC |
| Local authority | Lewes |
| Electoral ward | Lewes Priory |
| Westminster constituency | Lewes |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

### Codes

- 60200000 - Railway transport services

## Release History

- 4 Sep 2026 at 10:23 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/083781-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/083781-2026
  4th September 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/
- 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-06f1fd. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f1fd.json.