---
title: "Class 334 Rolling Stock Lease"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0786ec"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0786ec"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0786ec.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0786ec.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "ScotRail Trains Limited"
published: "2026-10-13"
---

# Class 334 Rolling Stock Lease

Buyer: ScotRail Trains Limited  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0786ec

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## Summary

ScotRail Trains Limited has extended its existing lease from Eversholt Rail for 40 three-car Class 334 trains. The trains support suburban rail services in Glasgow, including routes where their compatibility with the railway infrastructure and other ScotRail fleets is important. They are also used on the Bathgate to Edinburgh route, where bodyside cameras enable driver-only operation. The extended lease keeps the same supply scope and is intended as an interim arrangement while ScotRail procures, builds and commissions a replacement suburban fleet. The trains operate on Glasgow suburban lines and the Bathgate to Edinburgh route. This is a rolling-stock lease, rather than a purchase of new trains or a contract to provide general rail services.

The procurement is complete and the lease extension has been awarded to Eversholt Rail; the contract is active and was signed on 8 October 2026. The estimated extension value, including the option, is £94.9 million excluding VAT. The lease runs to 31 December 2034, with an option to extend for up to a further 12 months. ScotRail used a limited award procedure without a prior call for competition, modifying the existing lease rather than running an open tender. The stated rationale is that additional supplies are necessary and replacing the supplier is not economically or technically practicable: suitable trains must meet route, fleet and infrastructure requirements, while a change would entail substantial cost, disruption and staff training. The modification was made under regulation 86(1)(b) of the Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016.

For suppliers considering future rolling-stock leasing requirements from ScotRail, this outcome shows the importance of having trains that can operate on the Glasgow suburban network and integrate with existing fleets. A credible alternative would need suitable capacity and three-car compatibility, with the required safety, depot and network characteristics; on the Bathgate to Edinburgh route, driver-only operation bodyside cameras are also required. Suppliers should be able to demonstrate that their fleet can meet these operational and technical conditions without extensive infrastructure changes, prolonged time out of service or disproportionate crew and engineering staff training. Experience supporting continued rail services during transition to replacement rolling stock would also be relevant. The award demonstrates that continuity and technical compatibility can favour an existing fleet and leasing arrangement when ScotRail needs an interim solution.

## Notice

This notice concerns a modification to an existing lease (the Lease) procured whilst ScotRail was under the Abellio franchise ownership, between ScotRail Trains Limited (SRT) and Eversholt Rail Leasing Limited (Beacon Rail) for 40 x 3 car Class 334 vehicles (the Fleet). The Lease is currently scheduled to expire on 31 December 2030. The parties have agreed to revise the scheduled expiry date to extend the Lease to 31 December 2034, for the same scope of supplies, with an option to extend for up to a further 12 months beyond this revised date. The value of that extension (inclusive of options) is estimated to be GBP 94,900,000 excluding VAT. This extension is necessary to ensure SRT is able to discharge its obligations and continue to deliver vital services while the suburban new fleet procurement is concluded and is therefore an interim solution until the new fleet can be procured, built and commissioned for passenger service.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The Lease is being modified in accordance with regulation 86(1)(b) of the Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016 as additional supplies not included within the original procurement have become necessary, and a change of contractor cannot be made for economic or technical reasons and would cause significant inconvenience or substantial duplication of cost for SRT, because: 1. The modification has become necessary: there is a need to secure the ongoing operation of the Lease, which includes lifeline services in Glasgow suburban areas, while SRT carries out a full procurement for an enduring rolling stock solution. 2. A change of contractor cannot be made for economic or technical reasons: this is because: a. the Fleet has specific characteristics and technical features that are designed to interoperate with the rail infrastructure and SRT's other fleets and are required for operation on the Glasgow Suburban Lines. For example: (i) Along with ScotRail's other existing fleets, the Fleet is the only fleet which is fully accepted for operation on these lines, without incurring expensive and operationally disruptive gauging works. (ii) Driver Only Operation (DOO) bodyside cameras are a requirement for the Bathgate to Edinburgh portion of the route, currently operated by the class 334 fleet. (iii) Any alternative Fleet would require an extensive programme of train crew and engineering staff training, incurring significant training which would create significant additional (and disproportionate) training workload at a time when SRT is already engaged in an intensive programme of recruitment for future fleet cascades and new trains and therefore does not have the capacity to commence a training programme for an additional new fleet within the necessary timeframe. (iv) Please note there is a Section 54 Agreement currently in place. An extension to the Section 54 agreement is being finalised in relation to the Fleet, and SRT expects that agreement to be in place for the full duration of the lease and options. b. SRT's analysis has confirmed that there are no alternative available fleets that contain the necessary technical features and could meet these requirements. Other potential available fleets have insufficient trains or would be too long to replace the existing 3-car Cl334 and do not have the network/depot/safety compatibility required to operate on the relevant routes. c. In the event that an alternative existing fleet with suitable performance and technical characteristics was available (which in SRT's view is not the case), and that fleet could be adapted to accommodate the necessary technical features, this would result in substantial duplication of cost, significant inconvenience and extra time out of service, which would be disproportionate in the context of an interim solution.

Options: Option to extend for a period of up to a further 12 months.

### Procurement Information

Please refer to II.2.4 for the Description of the procurement

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/096723-2026 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 13 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £94,900,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | ScotRail Trains Limited |
| Locality | GLASGOW |
| Postcode area | Glasgow |
| Postcode | G2 6HQ |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM3 West Central Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM32 Glasgow City |
| Local authority | Glasgow City |
| Electoral ward | Anderston/City/Yorkhill |
| Westminster constituency | Glasgow North |
| Delivery location | TLM Scotland |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Eversholt Rail |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

### Codes

- 34600000 - Railway and tramway locomotives and rolling stock and associated parts

## Release History

- 13 Oct 2026 at 16:45 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/096723-2026

## Notice URLs

- http://www.scotrail.co.uk
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000845155
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA30589

## 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-0786ec. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0786ec.json.