---
title: "NEX26/48 Ballast Tamper Maintenance"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-07956d"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-07956d"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07956d.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07956d.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive"
published: "2026-11-02"
---

# NEX26/48 Ballast Tamper Maintenance

Buyer: Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-07956d

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## Summary

Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive (Nexus) intends to procure servicing, maintenance and repair of its Plasser 08-275 Ballast Tamper, known as MA60. This is an eight-axle, diesel-hydraulic, self-propelled machine used for tamping track switches and crossings. The work covers planned maintenance in line with the machine’s maintenance manual, plus corrective maintenance, emergency repairs and technical support. The successful supplier is expected to carry out the maintenance schedules other than daily and weekly checks, derogated activities and parts overhaul. Additional work may include inspections or investigations of machine components. The equipment is associated with Nexus’s rail operations in Tyne and Wear; the maintenance facility is in Newcastle upon Tyne.

This procurement is at the planning stage: Nexus has stated its intention to run a tender, but has not yet issued an invitation to tender. It expects a three-year fixed-cost contract for planned maintenance, with fixed costs also covering corrective maintenance, emergency repairs and technical support. Nexus may extend the contract by up to 12 months at its discretion. The stated contract period runs from 7 February 2027 to 6 February 2030, with a maximum end date of 6 February 2031. Nexus plans preliminary supplier engagement: expressions of interest are expected by 13 November 2026, questionnaires are due to be issued on 16 November and returned by 20 November, and individual online meetings are expected during the week commencing 30 November. Supplier visits to the Newcastle maintenance facility may follow.

The work is likely to suit a specialist rail plant maintenance provider with the engineering capability to service and repair a Plasser 08-275 ballast tamper, and to work to its maintenance manual and Nexus’s requirements. Suppliers should be prepared to deliver both planned servicing and unplanned corrective work, including emergency repairs and technical back-up. The buyer says the contractor may need to investigate specific machine conditions, respond to a machine-stopped failure within 24 hours of the initial report, and provide out-of-hours fitter cover to address reasonably forecastable faults during a shift. This calls for access to suitably skilled fitters, responsive technical support and the capacity to cover urgent work as well as scheduled maintenance. The buyer’s planned supplier discussions offer an early opportunity to understand the requirements and inform the eventual tender.

## Notice

Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive (Nexus) owns and operates a Plasser 08-275 Ballast Tamper (known locally as MA60 and referenced as so from this point onwards). MA60 is an eight-axle, diesel hydraulic, self-propelled S&C Ballast Tamper. The machine was delivered to Nexus in 2014 and has since completed 706862 Tamping cycles and has recorded 8938.4 working engine hours, and 6909.9 main engine hours (Information accurate as of October 2026). Nexus will be tendering for a supplier to undertake the required servicing, maintenance and repair of MA60 in accordance with the Vehicle Maintenance Manual. It is expected that all maintenance schedules with the exception of the daily and weekly checks, derogated activities and parts overhaul will be performed by the successful tenderer. This tender opportunity is for a 3-year fixed cost contract for all planned maintenances, as well as a fixed cost for corrective maintenances, emergency repairs and technical back-up, with the option to extend for up to a further 12 months at Nexus' discretion. MA60 shall be maintained in accordance with its Maintenance Manual NX 08-275-MA60 unless where specified by Nexus. Activities will be grouped by frequency which will be outlined in the tender documents upon release. Additionally, the contractor may be required to: * Undertake specific inspections or investigations outside of the Maintenance Schedule(s), e.g. a condition report for certain machine parts. * Respond to 'machine stopped' failures within 24 hours of the initial report. * Provide 'out of hours' fitter cover. The cover shall provide a timely response and resolution any emerging 'reasonably forecastable' machine faults that occur during that shift.

### Planning Information

Potential suppliers for this opportunity are invited to express their interest via email to tenders@nexus.org.uk referencing NEX26/48 Ballast Tamper Maintenance in the email subject. The deadline for submission of emailed expressions of interest is 13 November 2026.
Upon receipt of the email above and following the submission deadline suppliers will be invited to complete a short questionnaire ahead of an individual Teams meeting at which responses will be discussed in further detail. Questionnaires will be issued on 16 November 2026 with a return date of 20 November 2026.
It is expected the Teams meetings will take place during week commencing 30 November 2026.
Dependent on the outcome of the above it may be that suppliers are invited to view the vehicle at Nexus' maintenance facility in Newcastle Upon Tyne prior to any tender exercise though time restraints may permit this until during the tender process.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/103667-2026 |
| Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 2 Nov 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 7 Feb 2027 - 6 Feb 2030 |
| 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 | Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive |
| Locality | NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE |
| Postcode area | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Postcode | NE4 5DE |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC43 Tyneside |
| Local authority | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Electoral ward | Arthur's Hill |
| Westminster constituency | Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West |
| Delivery location | TLC North East (England) |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation
- 50 - Repair and maintenance services
- 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

### Codes

- 34000000 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation
- 50100000 - Repair, maintenance and associated services of vehicles and related equipment
- 71300000 - Engineering services

## Release History

- 2 Nov 2026 at 11:52 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/103667-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/103667-2026
  2nd November 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- 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-07956d. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07956d.json.