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plannedFind a Tender · planning

Insulated Rail Joints & Rail Ancillaries

Buyer: NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED →

BuyerNETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED
Statusplanned
DeadlineNot published
Value£20,000,000
Published19 Aug 2026

What is being bought

Network Rail is undertaking market research to assess the current level of industry interest, capability and capacity for the manufacture and supply of Insulated Rail Joints (IRJs) and Rail Ancillaries (Closure Rails). These goods will be required to be manufactured to specified standards, supplied in varying lengths and configurations, and delivered to meet both planned and emergency operational requirements. The Information Document available via Bravo provides full details of the requirement, including: • Background to the requirement and the operational context • Technical specifications for all IRJ and Closure Rail types • Applicable rail profiles, joint configurations and manufacturing processes • Anticipated monthly and annual volumes based on historic demand • Expected lead times, including short‑notice and emergency supply requirements • Compliance obligations, including relevant Network Rail standards, drawings and Product Acceptance requirements • Preferred site location considerations to support same‑day and nationwide delivery capability The following supporting documents will be made available as part of the engagement: • Network Rail Technical Specification for the Design, Assembly and Testing of Glued Insulated Rail Joints (November 2025) • Standards: – RT/CE/S/023 Insulated Rail Joints – RT/CE/S/050 Process for Cold‑Expanding New Fishbolt Holes by the Split Sleeve Method (NR/SP/TRK/050) – NR/L3/TRK/4004 Switch and Crossing Assemblies • RE/PW Drawings: – RE/PW/624 (Twisted Closure Rails) – RE/PW/549 (95RBH) – RE/PW/792 (CEN56E1) – RE/PW/979 (CEN60E2) • NR/L2/TRK/2049 Track Design Handbook Product Acceptance (PA) is required before supply may commence. PA activities may form part of mobilisation, and the contract will not move into delivery until PA is fully approved by Network Rail. Suppliers will be expected to support the PA process by providing the necessary technical documentation, evidence and sample materials as required. Suppliers are invited to review the Information Document and complete the questionnaire within the PQQ. The information gathered will help Network Rail understand current market capability, production capacity, compliance readiness and the ability to meet the supply requirements for IRJs and Closure Rails. This market engagement is issued for information‑gathering purposes only and does not constitute a call for competition, nor does participation or non‑participation affect eligibility for any future procurement opportunity.

Categories

Rails and accessories 34941000Track rails 34941200Rails 34946110

Lot details

Lot 1

No lot description published.

Statusplanned
Contract periodFrom 1 Nov 2028 to 31 Oct 2033
SME suitabilitySuitable for SMEs

What is included

ItemCategoryQuantity
1Rails and accessories, Track rails, RailsNot published

Comparable-procurement analytics

Benchmarked against retained Find a Tender procedures with CPV division 34. The category anchor is Rails and accessories (34941000); this is a deliberately broad market comparator. The comparison is shown at several levels rather than pretending one company or region is always the best benchmark.

Comparison setProceduresReported bids per procedureNamed award suppliersPrice evidence
Market: CPV division 341,8093 median · 21.7 average (517 of 1,809 with a bid count)3.5 average (571 of 1,809 with named award suppliers)Not published
Same buyer44Not publishedNot publishedNot published
Similar published value (0.5×–2×)11025 median · 51 average (3 of 110 with a bid count)15 average (3 of 110 with named award suppliers)Not published

“Reported bids” is an official aggregate, sometimes reported per lot; it is the closest available competition measure. “Named award suppliers” are winners, not all applicants.

Price-outcome signal

Not enough comparable procedures currently publish both a GBP tender value and a usable lowest-valid-bid value to calculate a responsible price-reduction benchmark. Tenderline deliberately does not infer a saving from named award suppliers or from missing award values.

Procurement strategy & market signals

Framework agreementNot published
Dynamic purchasing systemNot published
Competitive procurementNot published
Recurring requirementNot published
Procurement method rationaleNot published
Rationale classificationsNot published
Special regimeutilities
Covered byNot published
Submission policyNot published
Selection criteriaNot published
Risk detailsNot published

Planning & early market engagement

BudgetValue not published
No-engagement rationaleNot published
Planning documents1
Planning milestones0

No planning milestones published.

Related procurements

No linked framework, prior procurement or reprocurement published.

Documents & submission route

Source data inventory

Diagnostic view. “Not published” means this current release does not provide a value.

OCIDocds-h6vhtk-065b10
Latest release ID078899-2026
Latest release timestampWed Aug 19 2026 10:39:39 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Sourcefind-a-tender
Official notice URLNot published
Tender statusplanned
Procurement methodNot published
Procurement method detailsNot published
Main procurement categorygoods
Above thresholdNot published
Legal basis2023/54
Tender period: startNot published
Tender period: endNot published
Expression of interest deadlineNot published
Enquiry deadlineNot published
Award period: startNot published
Award period: endNot published
Submission method detailsNot published
Submission languagesNot published
Electronic catalogue policyNot published
Total tender value£20,000,000
Tender lots in source1
Tender items in source1
Tender documents in source0
Awards in latest release0
Contracts in latest release0
Parties in latest release1

Notice history

DateEventReference
19 Aug 2026planning078899-2026
24 Feb 2026planning016487-2026

All source data

Unmodified official OCDS data retained by Tenderline for this procurement process.

Complete current OCDS release JSON
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          {
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          {
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Complete JSON history (2 releases)
19 Aug 2026 · 078899-2026 · planning
{
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  "date": "2026-08-19T11:39:39+01:00",
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          {
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            "description": "Track rails"
          },
          {
            "id": "34946110",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Rails"
          }
        ]
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    ],
    "title": "Insulated Rail Joints & Rail Ancillaries",
    "value": {
      "amount": 20000000,
      "currency": "GBP",
      "amountGross": 24000000
    },
    "status": "planned",
    "legalBasis": {
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      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents",
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    "description": "Network Rail is undertaking market research to assess the current level of industry interest, capability and capacity for the manufacture and supply of Insulated Rail Joints (IRJs) and Rail Ancillaries (Closure Rails). These goods will be required to be manufactured to specified standards, supplied in varying lengths and configurations, and delivered to meet both planned and emergency operational requirements.\nThe Information Document available via Bravo provides full details of the requirement, including:\n• Background to the requirement and the operational context\n• Technical specifications for all IRJ and Closure Rail types\n• Applicable rail profiles, joint configurations and manufacturing processes\n• Anticipated monthly and annual volumes based on historic demand\n• Expected lead times, including short‑notice and emergency supply requirements\n• Compliance obligations, including relevant Network Rail standards, drawings and Product Acceptance requirements\n• Preferred site location considerations to support same‑day and nationwide delivery capability\nThe following supporting documents will be made available as part of the engagement:\n• Network Rail Technical Specification for the Design, Assembly and Testing of Glued Insulated Rail Joints (November 2025)\n• Standards:\n– RT/CE/S/023 Insulated Rail Joints\n– RT/CE/S/050 Process for Cold‑Expanding New Fishbolt Holes by the Split Sleeve Method (NR/SP/TRK/050)\n– NR/L3/TRK/4004 Switch and Crossing Assemblies\n• RE/PW Drawings:\n– RE/PW/624 (Twisted Closure Rails)\n– RE/PW/549 (95RBH)\n– RE/PW/792 (CEN56E1)\n– RE/PW/979 (CEN60E2)\n• NR/L2/TRK/2049 Track Design Handbook\nProduct Acceptance (PA) is required before supply may commence. PA activities may form part of mobilisation, and the contract will not move into delivery until PA is fully approved by Network Rail. Suppliers will be expected to support the PA process by providing the necessary technical documentation, evidence and sample materials as required.\nSuppliers are invited to review the Information Document and complete the questionnaire within the PQQ. The information gathered will help Network Rail understand current market capability, production capacity, compliance readiness and the ability to meet the supply requirements for IRJs and Closure Rails.\nThis market engagement is issued for information‑gathering purposes only and does not constitute a call for competition, nor does participation or non‑participation affect eligibility for any future procurement opportunity.",
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24 Feb 2026 · 016487-2026 · planning
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  "date": "2026-02-24T13:57:18Z",
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          {
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    ],
    "title": "Insulated Rail Joints & Rail Ancillaries",
    "status": "planning",
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      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents",
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    "description": "Network Rail is undertaking market research to assess the current level of industry interest, capability and capacity for the manufacture and supply of Insulated Rail Joints (IRJs) and Rail Ancillaries (Closure Rails). These goods will be required to be manufactured to specified standards, supplied in varying lengths and configurations, and delivered to meet both planned and emergency operational requirements.\nThe Information Document available via Bravo provides full details of the requirement, including:\n• Background to the requirement and the operational context\n• Technical specifications for all IRJ and Closure Rail types\n• Applicable rail profiles, joint configurations and manufacturing processes\n• Anticipated monthly and annual volumes based on historic demand\n• Expected lead times, including short‑notice and emergency supply requirements\n• Compliance obligations, including relevant Network Rail standards, drawings and Product Acceptance requirements\n• Preferred site location considerations to support same‑day and nationwide delivery capability\nThe following supporting documents will be made available as part of the engagement:\n• Network Rail Technical Specification for the Design, Assembly and Testing of Glued Insulated Rail Joints (November 2025)\n• Standards:\n– RT/CE/S/023 Insulated Rail Joints\n– RT/CE/S/050 Process for Cold‑Expanding New Fishbolt Holes by the Split Sleeve Method (NR/SP/TRK/050)\n– NR/L3/TRK/4004 Switch and Crossing Assemblies\n• RE/PW Drawings:\n– RE/PW/624 (Twisted Closure Rails)\n– RE/PW/549 (95RBH)\n– RE/PW/792 (CEN56E1)\n– RE/PW/979 (CEN60E2)\n• NR/L2/TRK/2049 Track Design Handbook\nProduct Acceptance (PA) is required before supply may commence. PA activities may form part of mobilisation, and the contract will not move into delivery until PA is fully approved by Network Rail. Suppliers will be expected to support the PA process by providing the necessary technical documentation, evidence and sample materials as required.\nSuppliers are invited to review the Information Document and complete the questionnaire within the PQQ. The information gathered will help Network Rail understand current market capability, production capacity, compliance readiness and the ability to meet the supply requirements for IRJs and Closure Rails.\nThis market engagement is issued for information‑gathering purposes only and does not constitute a call for competition, nor does participation or non‑participation affect eligibility for any future procurement opportunity.",
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    "milestones": [
      {
        "id": "engagement",
        "type": "engagement",
        "status": "scheduled",
        "dueDate": "2026-03-17T23:59:59+00:00",
        "description": "Network Rail is undertaking a market engagement exercise to understand current market interest, capability, and capacity for the manufacture and supply of Insulated Rail Joints (IRJs) and Rail Ancillaries (Closure Rails). These goods will be required to be manufactured to specified standards, supplied in varying lengths and configurations, and delivered to meet both planned and emergency operational requirements.\nThis engagement aims to gather information from suppliers who have the technical capability, production capacity, and supply-chain readiness to support Network Rail’s ongoing operational and maintenance requirements.\nThe Information Document provides detailed information regarding:\n• Background to the requirement\n• Technical specifications for IRJs and Closure Rails\n• Applicable rail types, joint types, and manufacturing processes\n• Anticipated monthly and annual volumes\n• Lead time expectations, including emergency call‑off requirements\n• Compliance obligations, standards, drawings and Product Acceptance processes\n• Preferred site location considerations to support nationwide delivery\nThe following supporting documents will be made available as part of the engagement:\n• Network Rail Technical Specification for the Design, Assembly and Testing of Glued Insulated Rail Joints (November 2025)\n• Standards:\n– RT/CE/S/023 Insulated Rail Joints\n– RT/CE/S/050 Process for Cold‑Expanding New Fishbolt Holes by the Split Sleeve Method (NR/SP/TRK/050)\n– NR/L3/TRK/4004 Switch and Crossing Assemblies\n• RE/PW Drawings:\n– RE/PW/624 (Twisted Closure Rails)\n– RE/PW/549 (95RBH)\n– RE/PW/792 (CEN56E1)\n– RE/PW/979 (CEN60E2)\n• NR/L2/TRK/2049 Track Design Handbook\nProduct Acceptance (PA) is required before supply may commence. PA activities may form part of mobilisation, and the contract will not move into delivery until PA is fully approved by Network Rail. Suppliers will be expected to support the PA process by providing the necessary technical documentation, evidence and sample materials as required.\nSuppliers are invited to review the Information Document and complete the questionnaire available within the PQQ. Responses will be used for information‑gathering purposes only and will help Network Rail assess market maturity, capability and potential capacity ahead of any future procurement activity. This engagement does not constitute a call for competition.\nDuring the engagement window, suppliers may submit clarification questions using the correspondence function within Bravo. All clarification responses will be issued through the portal to ensure fairness and transparency.\nThere are currently no scheduled in‑person or virtual engagement events. However, Network Rail may hold additional sessions depending on supplier interest or the need for further technical discussion.\nInstructions for suppliers:\n- Access, download and review the Information Document and Questionnaire via the Bravo portal: https://networkrail.bravosolution.co.uk under ‘Current Opportunities’.\n- Submit clarification questions through the Bravo correspondence function before the clarification deadline.\n- Complete and return the questionnaire by 17:00 on the engagement deadline date.\n- Ensure responses provide accurate information relating to capability, capacity, compliance status and delivery feasibility.\nNetwork Rail welcomes participation from all interested suppliers, including established manufacturers, innovators and potential new entrants to the market. Responses received will inform future strategy and ensure the supply chain is well positioned for potential forthcoming opportunities.\nNon‑participation in this market engagement will not preclude any organisation from taking part in future procurement processes. Should a formal procurement exercise be launched, Network Rail will publish a tender notice as a call for competition."
      }
    ]
  },
  "initiationType": "tender"
}