--- title: "MetroWest Firmware Upgrade" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06f445" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06f445" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f445.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f445.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Award" buyer: "West of England Combined Authority" published: "2026-09-08" --- # MetroWest Firmware Upgrade Buyer: West of England Combined Authority Current stage: Award OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06f445 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06f445) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f445.json) ## Summary The West of England Combined Authority procured railway signalling works for the MetroWest Firmware Upgrade. The requirement is for Network Rail Infrastructure Limited to upgrade essential firmware and platform software supporting Smartlock Support Server systems. These systems currently run on obsolete and unsupported Windows platforms, creating risks to reliability, safety assurance, cyber-security compliance and long-term support. The upgrades are also intended to enable new signalling functionality needed for future MetroWest services. The buyer is the West of England Combined Authority, based in Bristol. The awarded supplier is Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, a large infrastructure organisation specialising in rail systems and signalling works. The procurement covers one complete requirement rather than multiple separately described lots. The procurement has been completed and awarded following a direct award. The award was made to Network Rail Infrastructure Limited on 30 July 2026. The award value is £676,665 excluding the gross amount of £811,986, in GBP. The award is classified as works and is below the applicable threshold. The buyer justified the direct award on the basis that no alternative supplier could legally or technically deliver the works, citing the Procurement Act 2023 and technical reasons associated with a single supplier. The award is active, with a contract period from 18 September 2026 to 31 May 2027. A contract signature milestone was scheduled for 18 September 2026. The tender and its single lot are recorded as complete. This procurement demonstrates demand for specialist rail signalling infrastructure capability, particularly the modernisation of safety-related support systems and the replacement of obsolete operating platforms. A credible future competitor would need demonstrable technical expertise in Smartlock Support Server environments, firmware and platform upgrades, and railway signalling systems. It would also need to understand the operational consequences of changing systems that support rail services, including reliability, safety assurance, cyber-security compliance and long-term supportability. Evidence of working within Network Rail or comparable rail infrastructure environments would be commercially relevant, as would the ability to manage technically constrained upgrades where compatibility with existing signalling functionality is critical. The scale indicates a substantial, single-project upgrade requiring an established delivery organisation rather than a small software-only supplier. ## Notice Network Rail to deliver essential firmware and platform upgrades to the Smartlock Support Server systems, which currently operate on obsolete and unsupported Windows platforms. These ageing installations present growing risks to reliability, safety assurance, cybersecurity compliance, and long-term supportability, and cannot accommodate the new signalling functionality required for services in 2028. ### Procurement Information No alternative supplier can legally or technically deliver these works, the Direct Award appears capable of being justified under Schedule 5, Paragraphs 5 and 6 of the Procurement Act 2023, subject to legal review. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084816-2026 | | Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Works | | Procurement method | Direct | | Procurement method details | Direct award | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Large | | All stages | Award | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 8 Sep 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | 30 Jul 2026 | | Contract period | 18 Sep 2026 - 31 May 2027 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | £676,665 | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Complete | | Lots status | Complete | | Awards status | Active | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | West of England Combined Authority | | Locality | BRISTOL | | Postcode area | Bristol | | Postcode | BS1 6AL | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) | | ITL 2 | TLK5 West of England | | ITL 3 | TLK51 Bristol, City of | | Local authority | Bristol, City of | | Electoral ward | Central | | Westminster constituency | Bristol Central | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## Supplier | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Number of suppliers | 1 | | Supplier names | NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 45 - Construction work ### Codes - 45234115 - Railway signalling works ## Release History - 8 Sep 2026 at 11:52 - AwardUpdate - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084816-2026 - 8 Sep 2026 at 11:27 - AwardUpdate - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084791-2026 - 8 Sep 2026 at 11:03 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084767-2026 - 8 Sep 2026 at 10:56 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084763-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084816-2026 8th September 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084791-2026 8th September 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084767-2026 8th September 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084763-2026 8th September 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents - https://www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/about-us/contact-us/ ## 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-06f445. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f445.json.