EMR awards Class 221 operating hire to Grand Central Railway Company Limited

Tender information last checkedLast checked 14 Oct 2026, 19:11.

Opportunity overview

Transport UK East Midlands Limited (EMR) intends to enter into a short-term operating hire of two Class 221 passenger rolling-stock units, including maintenance, technical support and daily fitness-to-run certification, for use on East Midlands Railway passenger services from 26 October 2026 to 28 February 2027.

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.

GRAND CENTRAL RAILWAY COMPANY LIMITED

Matched by number

Published award value: £5.7m
Awarded: 13 Oct 2026
Award ID: 1
Status: active
Identifier: GB-COH 03979826
Location: Sunderland, UKC23, SR3 3XP, United Kingdom

Classification

No classification was supplied.

Lots

Lot 1Value not stated

Documents and notices

Contract award notice on Find a TenderOpen source ↗

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-078803
Status: complete
Procurement Method: direct
Procurement Method Details: Direct award
Why this procedure was chosen: Schedule 5, paragraph 6: absence of competition for technical reasons. The contract is being directly awarded on the basis that, due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only the selected supplier is able to provide the required Class 221 services and there are no reasonable alternatives capable of meeting the requirement. Schedule 5, paragraphs 13 and 14: extreme and unavoidable urgency. The required services are strictly necessary for reasons of extreme and unavoidable urgency and the timescales do not permit the contract to be awarded through a competitive tendering procedure. The circumstances giving rise to the urgency were not attributable to an act or omission of the contracting authority and could not reasonably have been foreseen.

Legal basis

Id: 2023/54
Scheme: UKPGA
Uri: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ↗

Procedure reasons

Entry 1

Id: singleSuppliersTechnicalReasons

Entry 2

Id: urgency

Special regime

utilities

Lots and requirements

Entry 1

Id: 1
Status: complete

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1

Name: TRANSPORT UK EAST MIDLANDS LIMITED
Id: GB-COH-09860485

Identifier

Scheme: GB-COH
Id: 09860485

Additional Identifiers

Entry 1

Scheme: GB-PPON
Id: PYJP-8287-BJGL

Address

Street Address: 2nd Floor St Andrew's House
Locality: London
Postal Code: EC4A 3AG
Country: GB
Country Name: United Kingdom
Region: UKI31

Contact

Email: Procurement@eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk

Roles

buyer

Details

Classifications

Entry 1

Scheme: UK_CA_TYPE
Id: privateUtility
Description: Private utility

Organisation 2

Name: GRAND CENTRAL RAILWAY COMPANY LIMITED
Id: GB-COH-03979826

Identifier

Scheme: GB-COH
Id: 03979826

Additional Identifiers

Entry 1

Scheme: GB-PPON
Id: PMWH-9658-CWML

Address

Street Address: 1 Admiral Way
Locality: Sunderland
Postal Code: SR3 3XP
Country: GB
Country Name: United Kingdom
Region: UKC23

Contact

Email: joe.howard@grandcentralrail.com

Roles

supplier

Details

Url: https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ ↗
Scale: large
Vcse: No
Public Service Mission Organization: No
Sheltered Workshop: No

Award information

Award 1

Id: 1
Status: active
Date: 14 Oct 2026, 00:00
Main Procurement Category: goods
Above Threshold: Yes
Has Renewal: Yes

Items

Item 1

Id: 1
Related Lot: 1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1

Scheme: CPV
Id: 34600000
Description: Railway and tramway locomotives and rolling stock and associated parts

Delivery locations

Entry 1

Region: UKF
Country: GB
Country Name: United Kingdom

Value

Including VAT: 6,815,645.42
Amount: 5,679,704.52
Currency: GBP

Suppliers

Supplier 1

Id: GB-COH-03979826
Name: GRAND CENTRAL RAILWAY COMPANY LIMITED

Contract period

Starts: 26 Oct 2026, 00:00
Ends: 28 Feb 2027, 23:59
Max Extent Date: 7 Apr 2027, 23:59

Renewal

Description: An extension option is included to allow the contract term to be extended up to 7 April 2027 if required to maintain continuity of the services.

Related lots

Documents

Entry 1

Id: 097232-2026
Document Type: awardNotice
Notice Type: UK6
Description: Contract award notice on Find a Tender
Url: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097232-2026 ↗
Published: 14 Oct 2026, 17:40
Format: text/html

Milestones

Entry 1

Id: 1
Type: futureSignatureDate
Due: 26 Oct 2026, 23:59
Status: scheduled

Recorded locations

Buyer location · London · UKI31 · EC4A 3AG · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

2 published notice versions reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

2 VERSIONS

097228-2026Transparency notice on Find a Tender · 14 Oct 2026, 17:23
097232-2026Contract award notice on Find a Tender · 14 Oct 2026, 17:40

PROCURAAXIS AWARD ANALYSIS

Award outcome intelligence

Evidence-bound analysis of the published award appears below the official tender and award information.

ANALYSIS PREVIEW

Award intelligence at a glance

Transport UK East Midlands Limited awarded Grand Central Railway Company Limited a direct award for the short-term operating hire of two Class 221 passenger rolling-stock units, with maintenance, technical support and daily fitness-to-run certification for East Midlands Railway services.

Published outcome signals

Notice statusContract award notice published; procurement status completeEvidence: The process is labelled "Contract award notice on Find a Tender" and the tender status is "complete".
Award statusActiveEvidence: Award 1 has status "active".
Signature statusFuture signature date scheduled for 26 October 2026; signature not explicitly confirmedEvidence: Award milestone type is "futureSignatureDate" with dueDate 2026-10-26T23:59:59Z.

97% approved-analysis confidence1 supplier record analysed4 source limitations

SOURCE AND FRESHNESS

Traceable procurement data

Source: Find a Tender
Notice reference: 097232-2026
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078803
First published: 14 Oct 2026
Last checked: 14 Oct 2026, 19:11
Notice versions reviewed: 2

View Find a Tender notice ↗

HOW THIS WAS PREPARED

Approved, evidence-bound analysis

ProcuraAxis structures information found in published procurement records, checks the result for consistency and publishes only approved analysis. Confidence describes the completeness and consistency of the available source information; it is not a guarantee of eligibility or contract award.

Analysis status: Approved for publication
Analysed: 17 Oct 2026

Read the analysis methodology →

AWARD OUTCOME

What happened

Published outcome

Award 1 is recorded as active, with an award date of 14 October 2026. The published record schedules a future signature date of 26 October 2026; it does not explicitly confirm that the contract has been signed.

Market significance

This is a £5.68m net direct award in the rail rolling-stock market, justified by technical absence of competition and extreme, unavoidable urgency.

AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS

1 supplier record analysed

GRAND CENTRAL RAILWAY COMPANY LIMITED

99% confidence

Award 1 · Lots 1 · 5679704.52 GBP · verified legal supplier; award active

View supporting evidence

Award 1 names GB-COH-03979826 as supplier. Supplier verification matched company number 03979826 to GRAND CENTRAL RAILWAY COMPANY LIMITED.

LIFECYCLE

Award or contract stage

Notice status

98% confidence

Contract award notice published; procurement status complete

View supporting evidence

The process is labelled "Contract award notice on Find a Tender" and the tender status is "complete".

Award status

98% confidence

Active

View supporting evidence

Award 1 has status "active".

Signature status

98% confidence

Future signature date scheduled for 26 October 2026; signature not explicitly confirmed

View supporting evidence

Award milestone type is "futureSignatureDate" with dueDate 2026-10-26T23:59:59Z.

Service period

98% confidence

26 October 2026 to 28 February 2027

View supporting evidence

Award 1 contractPeriod gives startDate 2026-10-26 and endDate 2027-02-28.

VALUES

Published values explained

Award value, excluding VAT

99% confidence

£5,679,704.52

View supporting evidence

Award 1 value.amount is 5679704.52 GBP.

Award value, including VAT

99% confidence

£6,815,645.42

View supporting evidence

Award 1 value.amountGross is 6815645.42 GBP.

Lot-level value allocation

98% confidence

Not published separately

View supporting evidence

Lot 1 has no value amount; the award covers related lot 1.

TIMELINE

Procurement timeline

Award date

99% confidence

14 October 2026

View supporting evidence

Award 1 date is 2026-10-14.

Transparency notice published

98% confidence

14 October 2026, 17:23 BST

View supporting evidence

Release history records transparency notice 097228-2026 at 2026-10-14T17:23:36+01:00.

Contract award notice published

99% confidence

14 October 2026, 17:40 BST

View supporting evidence

Award notice 097232-2026 was published at 2026-10-14T17:40:57+01:00.

Scheduled signature date

98% confidence

26 October 2026

View supporting evidence

The future-signature milestone is due on 26 October 2026.

Planned contract end

99% confidence

28 February 2027

View supporting evidence

Award 1 contractPeriod endDate is 2027-02-28T23:59:59Z.

SCOPE

What was awarded

Requirement

99% confidence

Short-term operating hire of two Class 221 passenger rolling-stock units

View supporting evidence

The process description states that EMR intends to hire two Class 221 units.

Included services

99% confidence

Maintenance, technical support and daily fitness-to-run certification

View supporting evidence

These services are specified in the process description.

Operational use

99% confidence

East Midlands Railway passenger services

View supporting evidence

The description states the units are for use on East Midlands Railway passenger services.

Procurement category

98% confidence

Goods; railway and tramway locomotives, rolling stock and associated parts

View supporting evidence

Award 1 mainProcurementCategory is goods; item CPV 34600000 is recorded.

Delivery region

97% confidence

East Midlands (UKF)

View supporting evidence

Award item delivery address is region UKF.

PROCEDURE

Procedure and competition

Procedure

99% confidence

Direct award

View supporting evidence

The tender procurementMethod is "direct" and procurementMethodDetails is "Direct award".

Technical rationale

97% confidence

Absence of competition for technical reasons

View supporting evidence

The published rationale states that only the selected supplier could provide the required Class 221 services and that no reasonable alternatives could meet the requirement.

Urgency rationale

97% confidence

Extreme and unavoidable urgency

View supporting evidence

The rationale states that services were strictly necessary, timescales did not permit competition, and the circumstances were unforeseeable and not attributable to the contracting authority.

Competition metrics

99% confidence

Not published

View supporting evidence

Information not supplied in the published notice.

Procurement regime

98% confidence

Utilities

View supporting evidence

Tender specialRegime is "utilities".

CONTRACT TERMS

Published contract terms

Base term

99% confidence

26 October 2026 to 28 February 2027

View supporting evidence

Award 1 contractPeriod records these start and end dates.

Extension option

98% confidence

May be extended up to 7 April 2027 to maintain service continuity

View supporting evidence

The award renewal description states an extension option allows the term to be extended up to 7 April 2027 if required.

Maximum extent date

99% confidence

7 April 2027

View supporting evidence

Award 1 contractPeriod maxExtentDate is 2027-04-07.

Pricing and payment terms

99% confidence

Not published

View supporting evidence

Information not supplied in the published notice.

COMMERCIAL VIEW

Commercial observations

Commercial structure

96% confidence

A time-limited operating-hire arrangement combining rolling stock and operational support services

View supporting evidence

The requirement combines hire of two units with maintenance, technical support and daily fitness-to-run certification.

Market access signal

95% confidence

The buyer reported that no reasonable technical alternative could meet the Class 221 requirement within the necessary timescale

View supporting evidence

This is the buyer's stated direct-award rationale; it is not an independently assessed market finding.

Continuity risk signal

96% confidence

The extension option indicates a published need to preserve continuity of services if needed

View supporting evidence

The renewal description says the option is included to maintain continuity of services.

ANALYSIS QUALITY

97%overall confidence

Confidence reflects the completeness and consistency of the published award data.

Reference: ocds-h6vhtk-078803
Analysed: 17 Oct 2026

APPROVED AWARD ANALYSIS

BUYER CONTEXT

Buyer context

Buyer

99% confidence

TRANSPORT UK EAST MIDLANDS LIMITED

View supporting evidence

Named as buyer in the published process and parties data.

Buyer type

98% confidence

Private utility

View supporting evidence

Buyer party classification is UK_CA_TYPE privateUtility.

Buyer location

98% confidence

London, United Kingdom

View supporting evidence

Buyer address is St Andrew's House, London EC4A 3AG.

SUPPLIER CONTEXT

Supplier context

Supplier identity

99% confidence

GRAND CENTRAL RAILWAY COMPANY LIMITED (company number 03979826)

View supporting evidence

The supplier is identified with GB-COH-03979826; verification matched this company number and legal name.

Supplier scale

96% confidence

Large

View supporting evidence

Supplier party details record scale as "large".

Supplier location

98% confidence

Sunderland, United Kingdom

View supporting evidence

Supplier address is recorded as 1 Admiral Way, Sunderland SR3 3XP.

RENEWAL OUTLOOK

Renewal outlook

Extension outlook

98% confidence

An option could extend the term from 28 February 2027 to no later than 7 April 2027, if required for continuity of service

View supporting evidence

The published renewal description and maximum extent date provide this option.

Renewal forecast

99% confidence

Unknown; no further procurement or renewal commitment is published

View supporting evidence

Information not supplied in the published notice beyond the stated extension option.

DATA QUALITY

Gaps and source limitations

Contract conclusion

98% confidence

The award is active, but signature is scheduled rather than explicitly confirmed

View supporting evidence

A future-signature milestone is recorded for 26 October 2026; no explicit signed-contract field or statement is supplied.

Lot detail

99% confidence

Lot 1 has no published title, description or separate value

View supporting evidence

Lot 1 is recorded only with status complete and no value or descriptive fields.

Competition detail

99% confidence

Bid counts, evaluation information and comparative pricing are not published

View supporting evidence

Information not supplied in the published notice.

Supplier verification

99% confidence

Supplier legal identity verified against company number 03979826

View supporting evidence

Supplier verification status is verified, using company-number matching.

SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS

Information not supplied in the published notice

The published record schedules a signature date but does not explicitly confirm that a contract has been signed.
Lot 1 has no published title, description or individually allocated value.
Information not supplied in the published notice: bid count, evaluation scores, tender submissions, pricing breakdown, payment terms and performance measures.
The published direct-award rationales are the buyer's stated grounds and are not independently validated by the notice.

MARKET THEMES

Relevant award themes

COMMON QUESTIONS

About this award

Who won the EMR Class 221 operating-hire award?

Grand Central Railway Company Limited, verified under company number 03979826.

What is the published award value?

£5,679,704.52 excluding VAT, or £6,815,645.42 including VAT.

Was this competitively tendered?

No. The notice records a direct award, citing technical absence of competition and extreme, unavoidable urgency.

Has the contract been confirmed as signed?

No explicit signature confirmation is published. A signature date of 26 October 2026 is recorded as a future milestone.

ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.

EMR Lease of x2 Class 221 Units

Opportunity overview

Awarded to

GRAND CENTRAL RAILWAY COMPANY LIMITED

Classification

Lots

Documents and notices

Published notice details

Scope, procedure and submissions

Legal basis

Procedure reasons

Special regime

Lots and requirements

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Identifier

Additional Identifiers

Address

Contact

Roles

Details

Classifications

Identifier

Additional Identifiers

Address

Contact

Roles

Details

Award information

Items

Additional Classifications

Delivery locations

Value

Suppliers

Contract period

Renewal

Related lots

Documents

Milestones

Recorded locations

Notice and amendment history

Award intelligence at a glance

Published outcome signals

Traceable procurement data

Approved, evidence-bound analysis

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