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Train Planning Software & Implementation Services

NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED

Buyer Contact Info

Buyer Name: NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED

Buyer Address: George Stephenson House, York, UKE21, YO1 6JT, United Kingdom

Contact Email: procurement@northernrailway.co.uk

Status
active
Procedure
selective
Value
22000000.0 GBP
Gross: 26400000 GBP
Published
02 Oct 2025, 15:52
Deadline
n/a
Contract Start
n/a
Contract End
n/a
Category
services
CPV
48300000 - Document creation, drawing, imaging, scheduling and productivity software package
Region
n/a
Awarded To
n/a
Official Source
Open Find a Tender

Description

Northern Trains Limited, is a Train Operating Company (TOC) that operates passenger rail services in the North of England. Northern Trains Limited is publishing this notice to establish a contract for the supply of Train Planning (Timetabling & Diagramming) software and implementation services. The nature of the arrangement is that the software and implementation services will be supplied under NTL's IT Services Agreement. NTL will award a contract under either of the following scenarios: (1) A contract will be awarded to the top scoring supplier under Lot 1, or (2) A contract will be awarded to the top scoring suppliers in Lots 2 & 3. Accordingly the overall value of the Notice is reflective of this. Where used throughout this notice, the meaning of Train Operating Companies includes all and any of those train operating companies who, currently or in the future, provide services for the carriage of passengers by railway: a. under a franchise agreement with the Secretary of State within the meaning of section 23(3) of the Railways Act 1993 or b. under, or secured under, the Secretary of State's duty in section 30(1) of the Railways Act 1993; or c. in accordance with legislation which supersedes or amends the powers referred to in a) and b), including where such powers are transferred from the Secretary of State to another body.  The list of current providers of services for the carriage of passengers by railway under these provisions can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/public-register-of-rail-passenger-contracts. Novation or Assignment The contract may be novated or assigned by Northern Trains Limited to Train Operating Companies, or to DFT Operator Limited (company number: 07141122) or any successor parent company to a Train Operating Company, following a corporate restructuring or similar circumstance.  Other Information Northern Trains Limited expressly reserves the right: i. not to award any suppliers the contract referred to in this notice; and ii. in no circumstances will the customer be liable for any costs incurred by the suppliers.

Linked Documents

No linked documents found for this notice.

Opportunity Context

More Information Links

External Link: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/061910-2025

Link Description: Tender notice on Find a Tender

Lots

Lot Title: Train Planning Software - Single Platform

Lot Description: NTL is seeking to procure a single solution that will be used by the Service Planning department to deliver the following capabilities: •Planning and development of timetables for submission to Network Rail. Timetables are submitted to Network Rail on a six-month rotation and must consider the requirements of customers along with the timetables being developed in parallel by other operators. •Creation of Crew Diagrams to provide maximum coverage of timetabled services using available resource. •Creation of Unit Diagrams describing the allocation of unit types to services from within the NTL unit asset catalogue. This does not include the allocation of specific units. The successful supplier will be required to implement the solution in line with the following: •Full production implementation of a system by March 2027, with a period of parallel running completed prior. •A system and operational cutover before or during March 2027, with no material impact on the BAU activities and capabilities of the NTL Service Planning department.

Lot 1 Status: active

Lot 1 Has Options: Yes

Lot 1 Options: Additional licensing, implementation/development/configuration services

Lot 1 Value: GBP 11,000,000

Lot 1 Value (Gross): GBP 13,200,000

Lot 1 Contract Start: 2026-03-20T00:00:00Z

Lot 1 Contract End: 2032-03-19T23:59:59Z

Lot 1 Award Criterion (quality): Quality (60%)

Lot 1 Award Criterion (cost): Commercial (30%)

Lot 1 Award Criterion (quality): Social Value (10%)

Lot Title: Train Planning Software - (Timetabling)

Lot Description: NTL is seeking to procure a software solution that will be used by the Service Planning department to deliver the following capabilities: •Planning and development of timetables for submission to Network Rail. Timetables are submitted to Network Rail on a six-month rotation and must consider the requirements of customers along with the timetables being developed in parallel by other operators. The successful supplier will be required to implement this solution and ensure seamless integration with the successful supplier of Lot 3 in line with the following: •Full production implementation of a system by March 2027, with a period of parallel running completed prior. •A system and operational cutover before or during March 2027, with no material impact on the BAU activities and capabilities of the NTL Service Planning department.

Lot 2 Status: active

Lot 2 Has Options: Yes

Lot 2 Options: Additional licensing, implementation/development/configuration services

Lot 2 Value: GBP 5,500,000

Lot 2 Value (Gross): GBP 6,600,000

Lot 2 Contract Start: 2026-03-20T00:00:00Z

Lot 2 Contract End: 2032-03-19T23:59:59Z

Lot 2 Award Criterion (quality): Quality (60%)

Lot 2 Award Criterion (cost): Commercial (30%)

Lot 2 Award Criterion (quality): Social Value (10%)

Lot Title: Train Planning Software - (Crew Unit & Diagramming)

Lot Description: NTL is seeking to procure a software solution that will be used by the Service Planning department to deliver the following capabilities: •Creation of Crew Diagrams to provide maximum coverage of timetabled services using available resource. •Creation of Unit Diagrams describing the allocation of unit types to services from within the NTL unit asset catalogue. This does not include the allocation of specific units. The successful supplier will be required to implement this solution and ensure seamless integration with the successful supplier of Lot 2 in line with the following: •Full production implementation of a system by March 2027, with a period of parallel running completed prior. •A system and operational cutover before or during March 2027, with no material impact on the BAU activities and capabilities of the NTL Service Planning department.

Lot 3 Status: active

Lot 3 Has Options: Yes

Lot 3 Options: Additional licensing, implementation/development/configuration services

Lot 3 Value: GBP 5,500,000

Lot 3 Value (Gross): GBP 6,600,000

Lot 3 Contract Start: 2026-03-20T00:00:00Z

Lot 3 Contract End: 2032-03-19T23:59:59Z

Lot 3 Award Criterion (quality): Quality (60%)

Lot 3 Award Criterion (cost): Commercial (30%)

Lot 3 Award Criterion (quality): Social Value (10%)

Documents

Document Description: Not published

Document Description: Tender notice on Find a Tender

Raw Notice JSON

Expand raw payload
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        "description": "NTL is seeking to procure a software solution that will be used by the Service Planning department to deliver the following capabilities:\n\u2022Creation of Crew Diagrams to provide maximum coverage of timetabled services using available resource.\n\u2022Creation of Unit Diagrams describing the allocation of unit types to services from within the NTL unit asset catalogue. This does not include the allocation of specific units.\nThe successful supplier will be required to implement this solution and ensure seamless integration with the successful supplier of Lot 2 in line with the following:\n\u2022Full production implementation of a system by March 2027, with a period of parallel running completed prior.\n\u2022A system and operational cutover before or during March 2027, with no material impact on the BAU activities and capabilities of the NTL Service Planning department.",
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    "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
    "procedure": {
      "features": "The Tender stages will be run as follows:\nStage 1:\nAll interested suppliers can apply to be considered for participation in this procurement exercise, through application via https://www.delta-esourcing.com/ Tenderbox Reference: TA9SBV97CP. \nThrough a set of criteria defined in the PSQ documentation, a maximum of five (5) suppliers  for each lot will be invited to respond to the ITN stage. All other suppliers (and non-compliant parties) will be notified as unsuccessful from the process at this stage.\nThe PSQ will be evaluated in three (3) parts:\nPart 1: Mandatory information to be provided by the suppliers, failure to do so and in an accurate manner may lead to exclusion from the procurement process. \nPart 2: Questions relating to conditions of participation, including standard \u0026 technical questions\nPart 3: Software Capability Assessment Tool\nAll suppliers that have have passed the submission of mandatory information will then be evaluated in accordance with the evaluation criteria provided within the ITP documentation. PSQ Parts 2 \u0026 3 will both have a total score of 100% available, the top five (5) scoring suppliers for each lot who achieve the minimum threshold for Parts 2 \u0026 3 outlined in the ITP documentation will be shortlisted to participate in the ITN stage. \nAll other submissions will be declined. NTL reserves the right to not score any question response that had not been provided in line with the instructions provided in the ITP. \nEach lot will have an overall total score of 100%. The total score (100%) will be divided by the criteria outlined within the Tender Documentation. Responses will be issued to evaluators to evaluate against the scoring criteria on an individual basis, recording their own justification for that score. NTL\u0027s procurement team will then hold a group moderation session with evaluators in respect of each scored question, considering the individual evaluator scores and justifications.  In those moderation sessions the evaluators will discuss the reasoning for their scoring of each scored question and agree a consensus score and associated rationale for that question.  NTL\u0027s procurement team shall facilitate these moderation sessions until a consensus score and rationale is reached by the relevant evaluators for each scored question. \nThe anticipated weightings for the ITN stage of the Tender process will be 60% - Quality, 30% - Commercial and 10% - Social Value, this will be confirmed within the tender documentation.\nFollowing evaluation of the ITN, a minimum of the top 2 (two) highest scoring bidders for each lot will be invited to submit Best and Final Offers(BAFOs). NTL strongly encourages all bidders to submit competitive Tender submissions. Whilst NTL may request Best and Final Offers (BAFOs), bidders should not rely on any potential subsequent opportunities for providing improved commercial offers."
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    "title": "Train Planning Software \u0026 Implementation Services",
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}