Official UK procurement notice
BT MGST - Private Circuit Emergency Overrun Service (PCEOS) Extension
Authority: Transport for London (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe contract is for the continued provision of BT's Private Circuit Emergency Overrun Service (PCEOS) supporting the London Overground GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Communications - Railway) network. The service maintains safety-critical telecommunications links used for communications between train drivers, signallers and railway operational control functions. The contract is required to ensure continuity of GSM-R services while Rail for London completes the migration from BT's legacy Megastream platform to a replacement Nokia-based transmission solution. BT is the only supplier capable of providing the service due to its ownership and operation of the Megastream infrastructure.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedProcedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Direct award
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Utilities
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 14 Aug 2026, 12:45 BST
- Last source update
- 14 Aug 2026, 12:45 BST
- Authority reference
WS3240121963- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-077667- Latest notice
- Transparency notice (UK5)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06e4a0Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Single Suppliers Technical Reasons
- Published justification
A Direct Award to BT plc is proposed as BT is the only supplier capable of providing the Megastream service that supports the London Overground GSM-R network. The service operates on BT-owned infrastructure and proprietary technology, and no alternative supplier can provide or maintain the existing circuits.
The contract is required to maintain a safety-critical railway communications service whilst Rail for London completes migration to a replacement Nokia-based transmission solution. Failure to secure the service would create significant operational and safety risks through the loss of GSM-R communications between train drivers, signallers and railway operational control functions.
The Direct Award is therefore justified due to the absence of competition for technical reasons, the lack of a reasonable alternative supplier, and the need to ensure continuity of a critical operational service until the migration programme is completed
- Risks
The dates referenced within the procurement notices and associated governance documentation may differ from the intended service period due to the sequencing of governance approvals and statutory procurement requirements.
The requirement relates to the continued provision of an existing service supporting the London Overground GSM-R network. The intended service period is 1 August 2026 to 30 November 2026. However, contract execution remains subject to completion of the relevant governance, assurance and approval processes, including publication of the required procurement notices and completion of the applicable standstill period.
The Transparency Notice has been published and, subject to the necessary approvals being obtained, a Contract Award Notice will be issued and the mandatory standstill period observed prior to contract execution. The contract will only be entered into following completion of all required governance and procurement processes.
The differing dates therefore reflect the timing of the approval process and statutory procurement requirements, and should not be interpreted as a change to the underlying service requirement or intended contract duration.
Notice history
2 events · 1 release on Find a Tender · since 14 Aug 2026- Transparency notice published14 Aug 2026, 12:45 BSTUK5
- Contract signature expected14 Aug 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Telecommunications Plc14 Aug 2026 – 30 Nov 2026 | £450,672 | — | Standstill |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- BRITISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIMITEDAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender