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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Rail Replacement System

NETWORK RAIL (HIGH SPEED) LIMITED · Contract details notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 2 Oct 2026, 08:56.

Opportunity overview

The requirement for this procurement is four Rail Replacement Gantries systems for use on the HS1 route. The gantry system must be able to deliver the following requirements and conform to particular interfaces: Key requirements: System must deliver renewals in CP4 System must operate in single-bore tunnel environment System must perform rail replacement activities in weeknight shift System must be capable of exchanging both S&C assets and CWR System must deliver rail, exchange rails, and collect scrap in the same working shift Key considerations for interface groups: Permanent way: The track gauge is 1435mm. The rail type is UIC60 (aka CEN60) on mainly ballasted track with twin block sleepers, and ~50km single track on slab track. The maximum installed cant is 160mm. The maximum gradient is 1 in 40 (2.5%). Open sections have a maximum speed of 300km/h, with track centres spaced at 4.5m. The infrastructure is predominantly built to GC gauge. UIC GB+ gauge applies to the Ashford connecting lines on the NR Network. The most restrictive, W6a gauge applies to a small number of locations on NRHS-managed infrastructure. Buildings & Civils: Several tunnels exist on HS1 including twin tunnels under London from Stratford westwards towards St Pancras and eastwards towards Dagenham. Tunnel depth varies between 24m and 50m. The two London tunnels are 7.5km and 10.1km long and split by Stratford International station. Other major tunnels include the 3.1km tunnel under the Thames at Thurrock in Essex and the 3.2km North Downs Tunnel near Maidstone in Kent. HS1 features several major viaducts with three exceeding 1km in length: Medway Viaduct carries the line over the river Medway adjacent to the M2 motorway, Thurrock Viaduct takes the line over the A282 Dartford Crossing and Ashford Viaduct takes the fast lines over Ashford International station. Signalling & Telecoms (S&T): TVM430 in-cab signalling is used across the infrastructure - except at Ashford and St Pancras International stations which are equipped with the KVB train protection system. Electricfication & Plant (E&P): Catenary compliant with the Energy (High Speed) TSI supplies 25kV at 50Hz AC. The contact wire height is 5080mm above rail level except for the Ashford Station platforms where it is at 4680mm minimum. Maintenance Depot: The infrastructure maintenance depot for HS1, Singlewell Infrastructure Maintenance Depot (SIMD), is located at Singlewell, near to Gravesend, Kent. Storage, maintenance and overhaul of the proposed system would need to take place at SIMD. The contract will also includes the provision of training for Network Rail High Speed personnel to operate and maintain the Gantries once they are delivered to site.

Awarded to

Amounts belong to published awards or contracts. Where several suppliers share one value, it is labelled as shared and is not a supplier-specific allocation.

Classification

No classification was supplied.

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
ocds-h6vhtk-0604eb
Status
complete
Procurement Method
direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Why this procedure was chosen
We intend to direct award under the justification that the competition is absent due to technical reasons and in this case only a particular supplier can supply goods. This is because any incompatibility between existing systems/equipment and new goods could also result in time consuming and complex redesign and modification which is unacceptable in the circumstances as this will have a major impact on delivering future work banks. In this case we cannot wait for bespoke alternatives due to the increased risk, cost and expected delay to CP4 renewals. There is a risk that train services will be delayed, delay costs incurred and reputational damage due to faulty assets and that NRHS does not have a viable methodology to address this. The Geismar ‘PMC’ gantries are intended for S&C replacement and are used extensively by SNCF on their high-speed lines. The gantries are transported to the worksite affixed to rail wagons, meaning they can be moved during passenger service to maximise the maintenance window. A series of PMC units can operate in tandem to replace S&C assets (half sets switches, crossings etc.) as well as longer lengths of continuously welded rail (CWR). They are remote control operated and self-deploy from the wagon using a combination of offloading legs and the larger, primary support legs. The assets being replaced can be transported to the worksite on the same consist that delivers the PMC units, where the rail assets are affixed to the wagon deck, underneath the PMC unit. This allows for the significant benefit of delivering new, replacing, and removing scrap, assets in the same shift – reducing the requirement from three, to one maintenance shift. The PMC solution has a significantly reduced profile when compared to other larger, tracked gantry systems used for major track renewals works. This unlocks their utility under live OHLE (without isolation) and in areas of restricted structure gauge (i.e tunnels) – both of which are vital for planned NRHS infrastructure maintenance. The justification is based on schedule 5, paragraph 6 which states: The following conditions are met in relation to the public contract— (a)due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and (b)there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works.

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Special regime

utilities

Covered By

GPA
CPTPP

Procedure reasons

Entry 1
Id
singleSuppliersTechnicalReasons

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
complete

Published documents

Entry 1
Id
conflictOfInterest
Document Type
conflictOfInterest
Description
Not published

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Name
NETWORK RAIL (HIGH SPEED) LIMITED
Id
GB-PPON-PPWG-4728-MXTL

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PPWG-4728-MXTL

Address

Street Address
Waterloo General Offices
Locality
London
Postal Code
SE1 8SW
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKI45

Contact

Roles

buyer

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Id
publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment
Description
Public authority - sub-central government
Organisation 2
Name
Geismar Rail Industry Technologies & Services SAS
Id
GB-PPON-PBLW-6435-NQHP

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PBLW-6435-NQHP

Address

Street Address
5. rue d'Altkirch
Locality
Colmar
Postal Code
68006
Country
FR
Country Name
France
Region
FR

Contact

Roles

supplier

Details

Scale
large
Vcse
No
Public Service Mission Organization
No
Sheltered Workshop
No

Award information

Award 1
Id
1
Status
active
Main Procurement Category
goods

Items

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
CPV
Id
42414310
Description
Mobile lifting frames

Suppliers

Supplier 1
Id
GB-PPON-PBLW-6435-NQHP
Name
Geismar Rail Industry Technologies & Services SAS

Related lots

1

Contracts and changes

Entry 1
Id
1
Award ID
1
Status
active
Above Threshold
Yes
Date Signed
8 Apr 2026, 00:00

Period

Starts
8 Apr 2026, 00:00
Ends
7 Apr 2028, 23:59

Value

Including VAT
6,325,800
Amount
5,271,500
Currency
EUR

Documents

Entry 1
Id
041821-2026
Document Type
contractNotice
Notice Type
UK7
Description
Contract details notice on Find a Tender
Published
7 May 2026, 11:33
Format
text/html

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · London · UKI45 · SE1 8SW · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

3 published notice versions reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

3 VERSIONS
  1. 002777-2026Transparency notice on Find a Tender ·
  2. 017260-2026Contract award notice on Find a Tender ·
  3. 041821-2026Contract details notice on Find a Tender ·