Official UK procurement notice
Fortwilliam and York Road Train Wash Replacements
Authority: Translink (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionNorthern Ireland Railways Company Ltd (NI Railways) is seeking information from qualified and experienced suppliers for the design, manufacture, delivery, installation, testing and commissioning of replacement Train Wash systems at two operational rail maintenance facilities in Belfast: Fortwilliam Train Care Facility and York Road Depot.
The project will replace existing train wash systems that have reached the end of their operational life and no longer provide the required cleaning performance. The new installations will support current and future NI Railways rolling stock, including the forthcoming Stadler FLIRT Enterprise fleet.
The anticipated scope of works will include, but is not limited to:
Design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of a new bi-directional Train Wash system at Fortwilliam Train Care Facility.
Design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of a new Train Wash system at York Road Depot.
Decommissioning and removal of the existing Train Wash systems and associated equipment at both locations.
Verification of existing foundations, drainage systems, utilities and structures to confirm suitability for reuse.
Adaptation and preparation of existing wash pads and plant rooms to accommodate new equipment.
Installation of associated mechanical, electrical, control and compressed air systems.
Provision of PLC-based control systems, safety systems, train detection equipment and operator interfaces.
Testing, commissioning, operator training and handover of the completed installations.
Provision of documentation, manuals, software licences, spare parts support and warranty services.
Ongoing technical support and spare parts availability for a minimum period of five years following installation.
The Train Wash systems shall be capable of accommodating various NI Railways fleets including CAF Class 3000 and Class 4000 units, the existing Enterprise fleet and the future Stadler FLIRT Enterprise fleet.
Works will be undertaken within live operational railway depots and may require suppliers to coordinate with Translink representatives, Principal Designers and specialist contractors while maintaining safe railway operations throughout delivery and installation. Suppliers should demonstrate relevant experience in rail infrastructure, depot-based construction activities, mechanical and electrical installations, and safe working within operational railway environments.
CPV: Railway equipment · Washing equipment
How this framework works
From the published notice- Framework period
- 5 yrs · up to 8 yrs from 2 Feb 2027
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedWhat it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
- “Fortwilliam and York Road Train Wash Replacements” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract.
Pipeline intelligence · planning stage: how this market runs before the tender is published
How Translink buys Machinery for textiles (CPV 4271), and who usually turns up
Translink’s published record next to the market for the same work. Compared with other frameworks and DPS only. Whole-market view: Machinery for textiles (CPV 4271) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners were registered in the region where that award was delivered.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards have an award date within 157 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
The market share is a minimum: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Missing bid counts may hide more single-bid awards. This share is a minimum.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid6% / 0%
2–329% / 31%
4–624% / 10%
7+41% / 59%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
On a framework or DPS, prices are agreed when work is called off.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Not comparable on a framework or DPS: the price is set later, on each call-off.
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1CPV 4271Published estimate£3.5m
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 29 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid0%
2–331%
4–610%
7+59%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Planned procurement
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Utilities
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 14 Sept 2026, 15:51 BST
- Last source update
- 14 Sept 2026, 15:51 BST
- Authority reference
P-3478- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-087004- Latest notice
- Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06f971Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- —
Timeline
14 Sept 2026 → 2 Feb 2027 · 4 dates- Planning notice published43 days ago14 Sept 2026, 15:51 BST
- Market engagement27 days ago1 Oct 2026, 00:59 BST
NI Railways intends to undertake preliminary market engagement to better understand supplier capability, procurement routes, innovation opportunities, sustainability measures and delivery approaches associated with modern Train Wash systems and related depot infrastructure works.
Suppliers must also be able to demonstrate that they have supplied a similar solution to customers with a similar fleet size (c. 53 train consists) within the last 3 years.
Interested suppliers are requested to e-mail their contact details and relevant supporting information demonstrating their ability to meet requirements and or requests for a site visit NO LATER THAN 12.00 hrs on Wednesday, 30th September 2026 to: Procurement@translink.co.uk
Suppliers registering their interest in participating in this exercise should note that:
This Notice is to initiate a market engagement and information gathering exercise and does not indicate the start of a procurement exercise. It is instead intended to act as an informal market research document providing a brief synopsis of Translink’s future requirements. This document is not intended to provide a definitive list of requirements
We invite interested suppliers to register their interest and to provide details of Train Wash solutions each can offer to Translink.
This document is not a tender specification nor request for quotation. Translink is merely investigating market opportunities at this stage without entering into any contractual or financial commitments.
Any documents, discussions, presentations, demonstrations, or clarifications submitted for this Market Research will not be considered as any part of the tender exercise. If Translink does decide to proceed with a competitive tender process, a separate detailed tender specification document will be produced as part of that process.
Nothing in this document or any other documents/information provided by Translink or any of its advisers or agents is to be construed as implying a commitment by Translink to place any Contract, now or in the future with any participating supplier in respect of the requirement under consideration.
Translink takes no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken, costs incurred, or commitments made by interested parties in responding to this notice or by being involved in any subsequent discussions in this market engagement and information gathering exercise.
- Today28 Oct 2026
- Tender notice expectedin 4 days1 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 96 days2 Feb 2027
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Preliminary market engagement notice published14 Sept 2026, 15:51 BSTUK2
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Pipeline notice- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender