Find a TenderAdministrative changeContract change notice

Published 27 Jan 2026, 18:58 GMT

This notice announces an administrative change to an existing contract or market (a contract change notice). No new tender or admission is opened here; see the linked notices below for the original opportunity.

Official UK procurement notice

Class 158 Single Variable Rate Sanding (SVRS) Modification

Official notice

Authority: Northern Trains Ltd (Public body)

Direct awardUtilities

Sectors: Repair & Maintenance (50) Delivery: North East (UKC)North West (UKD)Yorkshire & Humber (UKE)

Awarded value£1,790,898published award · exc. VAT

Awarded 27 Jan 2026no call for competition

Awarded to SIEMENS MOBILITY LIMITED

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The design, supply and certification of a proven Single Variable Rate Sanding (SVRS) for Northern's Class 158 fleet, consisting of eight three car and forty five two car units, with fitment commencing August 2026.

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published

Lot #1Awarded

Delivery: North East, North West, Yorkshire & Humber

50220000 Repair, maintenance and associated services related to railways and other equipment

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record

Procedure method: Direct award
Legal basis: UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Notice status: Administrative change
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: 27 Jan 2026, 18:58 GMT
Last source update: 30 Jun 2026, 12:19 BST
FTS notice number: 2026/S 000-061196
Latest notice: Contract change notice (UK10)
Delivery area: North East (UKC)North West (UKD)Yorkshire & Humber (UKE)
Official registry OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-061041 Find a Tender

Why no open competition: Single Suppliers Technical Reasons
Published justification: Northern Trains Limited (NTL) is required to procure and install a fully certified and previously proven SVRS system by leaf fall 2026, ensuring fleet safety of NTL's Class 158 rolling stock.
The following incidents on the GB rail network has required NTL to install SRVS on its cl.158 fleet:
The Salisbury collision (Oct 21) due to poor adhesion, involving Great Western Railway and South Western Railway trains, the Powys collision (Oct 24) involving Transport for Wales trains and multiple station overruns in 2024 and 2025.
Given these incidents, there is a need to enhance the stopping capability of the Class 158 as a safety imperative.
Siemens is the only provider whose SVRS solution has proven to positively impact breaking in low-adhesion conditions on Class 158s while in passenger service and is permitted for use by the asset-owner. This has been demonstrated at ScotRail.
Any alternative would not meet the timelines required by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and Department for Transport Operator (DFTO), making Siemens the only viable supplier for the Autumn 2026 deadline.
In conclusion, NTL's procurement under Schedule 5 paragraph 6 is justified due to the following reasons:
a. There are no alternative suppliers with a tested solution meeting the technical requirements for Class 158s in the timeframe required by the ORR to address a safety critical matter.
b. There are no reasonable alternative goods meeting the technical requirements for Class 158s in the timeframe required by the ORR to address a safety critical matter.

How it was run

Official notice

Submission deadline: —

Timeline

5 Feb 2026 → 30 Jun 2026 · 2 dates

Standstill ends259 days ago
5 Feb 2026, 23:59 GMT
Notice published115 days ago
30 Jun 2026, 12:19 BST

Notice history

5 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 27 Jan 2026

Transparency notice published
27 Jan 2026, 18:58 GMT
UK5
Contract award notice published
27 Jan 2026, 19:05 GMT
UK6
Contract signature expected
6 Feb 2026, 23:59 GMT
scheduled
Contract details notice published
5 Mar 2026, 15:27 GMT
UK7
Contract change notice published
30 Jun 2026, 12:19 BST
UK10

Routine re-releases (4)

2026-01: 1 release · 27 Jan 2026

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast

Awards 1

Awarded value £1,790,8981 award exc. VAT

Contracts signed 1latest 6 Feb 2026

Awarded to	Value	Date	Status
SIEMENS MOBILITY LIMITED6 Feb 2026 – 28 Aug 2028	£1,790,898	27 Jan 2026	Awarded

Contracts

Class 158 Single Variable Rate Sanding (SVRS) Modification · SIEMENS MOBILITY LIMITED
Signed
6 Feb 2026
Value
£2,177,688
Period
29 Jun 2026 – 28 Aug 2028
Status
active
Options
The parties have agreed to carry out three surveys one each of class 158/7, 158/8, and 158/9 to understand and agree a standard installation procedure which will document the dimensions and locations for installation, this will form the document against which conformance and non-conformance will be tested and will form the "Base Scope". Siemens shall undertake system design validation against the Base Scope, any differences between the 3 Class 158 variants. that incurs, an increase in materials and/or new materials for the integration and connectivity of the VRS system, will be at additional cost of the Customer.
- Change 29 Jun 2026 Northern considers that the changes fall within the provisions of Schedule 8, Paragraph 8 of the Procurement Act 2023, and are therefore compliant, given the modifications represent specific enhancements to system functionality that can only be delivered by Siemens due to IP ownership and integration constraints. The proposed modification meets the conditions set out in Schedule 8, Paragraph 8, as: (a) The modification provides for additional goods and services beyond those included in the original contract. (b) Appointing an alternative supplier would result in goods or services that are incompatible with, or technically different from, the existing system. (c) Such incompatibility would lead to: (i) Disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and maintenance, and significant operational inconvenience; and (ii) Substantial duplication of costs for Northern. (d) The modification does not increase the overall contract value by more than 50%. On this basis, Northern considers the proposed contract modification to be fully compliant with the Procurement Act 2023.
No agreed KPIs: In accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 and associated Cabinet Office guidance, the requirement to set and publish key performance indicators applies only to public contracts with an estimated value exceeding £5 million. As this contract is below the £5 million threshold, the statutory obligation to define and report KPIs does not apply. Therefore, KPIs have not been published for this procurement.

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central government GB-COH: 03076444 · GB-PPON: PZCJ-2164-HJQZ George Stephenson House, York, Yorkshire & Humber, YO1 6JTContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice

SIEMENS MOBILITY LIMITEDAwarded supplierGB-COH: 00016033GB-PPON: PLXP-3652-TTVN Sixth Floor, The Lantern, 75 Hampstead Road, London, London, NW1 2PLContact email

Official documents & specifications (4)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

Contract change notice contractContract change noticeUK10Contract change notice on Find a Tender30 Jun 2026, 12:19 BST
Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender5 Mar 2026, 15:27 GMT
Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender27 Jan 2026, 19:05 GMT
Transparency notice awardTransparency noticeUK5Transparency notice on Find a Tender27 Jan 2026, 18:58 GMT