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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Future Labs Challenge Brief: Waste Sorting and Segmentation

LONDON NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY LIMITED · Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 30 Sept 2026, 05:44.

Opportunity overview

The Problem: DTFO train operators deliver over 300 million passenger journeys annually. Those customers and our colleagues produce waste; across our managed stations we process more than 500 tonnes every 4 weeks. Some of our stations have sorting hubs where waste is manually separated to extract food and recyclables, helping to improve waste segmentation on our networks, and we are looking at scaling this out to other stations too. However, this is a time-consuming and resource intensive activity.A lot of our trains arrive and depart from terminus stations, such as Manchester Piccadilly, or London Kings Cross. Removing the waste from the trains can be a time-consuming process that potentially leads to delays boarding passengers, or passengers boarding dirty trains, both of which impact the experience they have. In 2025, a new timetable will be implemented on the East Coast Mainline, introducing more trains than ever before, meaning more passengers and more waste. We therefore need a better way of collecting, sorting and managing our waste. Space is limited on board our trains, and although waste bins are located throughout, these are required to be frequently emptied with only a finite amount of waste able to be stored onboard ahead of arriving at a station where they can then be removed.Cleanliness and how we manage waste is a key driver of customer experience satisfaction. It is therefore important that we maintain and continuously look for ways to improve the efficiency of our waste management. The Challenge: How might we: Increase the amount of waste we sort at our stations making it a quicker and more efficient process? Automate waste sorting in stations to increase efficiency and accuracy of waste sorting? Store more waste onboard a train to allow for quicker removal and cleaning of services? Enable waste sorting on trains so that it removes the need to sort in station? Influence customer behaviour to sort their own waste to reduce cross-contamination of different waste types? Educate colleagues and customers so they know whether their waste is recyclable and which bin to put it in? Constraints: What the solution must work within Onboard solutions must exist within onboard space and regulations Public-facing bins within stations are subject to strict security requirements Solutions must comply with simpler recycling legislation

Classification

  • CPV90500000 — Refuse and waste related services

Lots

  • Lot 1Value not stated

Documents and notices

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id
LNER10066
Status
planning
Above Threshold
No
Main Procurement Category
services

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Special regime

utilities

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
planning

Suitability

Sme
Yes
Vcse
Yes

Contract period

Ends
17 Nov 2025, 23:59
Starts
15 Sept 2025, 00:00

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UK
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Id
90500000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Refuse and waste related services

Planning and budget

Documents

Entry 1
Id
039108-2025
Format
text/html
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Published
11 Jul 2025, 08:51

Milestones

Entry 1
Id
engagement
Type
engagement
Status
scheduled
Due
22 Jul 2025, 23:59
Description
Please respond to the questionnaire at https://forms.office.com/e/iPCttfkFX0

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Id
GB-COH-04659712
Name
LONDON NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY LIMITED

Roles

buyer

Address

Region
UKE21
Country
GB
Locality
York
Postal Code
YO1 6GA
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
West Offices

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Id
publicUndertaking
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Description
Public undertaking

Identifier

Id
04659712
Scheme
GB-COH

Contact

Additional Identifiers

Entry 1
Id
PQZP-5496-ZTHY
Scheme
GB-PPON
Organisation 2
Id
GB-COH-03076444
Name
NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED

Roles

buyer

Address

Region
UKE21
Country
GB
Locality
York
Postal Code
YO1 6JT
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
George Stephenson House

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Id
publicAuthorityCentralGovernment
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Description
Public authority - central government

Identifier

Id
03076444
Scheme
GB-COH

Contact

Additional Identifiers

Entry 1
Id
PZCJ-2164-HJQZ
Scheme
GB-PPON
Organisation 3
Id
GB-COH-12544930
Name
TRANSPENNINE TRAINS LIMITED

Roles

buyer

Address

Region
UKD33
Country
GB
Locality
Manchester
Postal Code
M1 6LT
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
7th Floor, Bridgewater House

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Id
publicUndertaking
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Description
Public undertaking

Identifier

Id
12544930
Scheme
GB-COH

Contact

Additional Identifiers

Entry 1
Id
PXNX-1214-CQYL
Scheme
GB-PPON

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · York · UKE21 · YO1 6GA · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UK · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. ocds-h6vhtk-055d46-2025-07-11T08:51:06+01:00Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·