Official UK procurement notice
(MSA) - Manufacturing and Supply Agreement & (TSSSA) - Technical Support and Spares Supply Agreement for the purchase of 10 X DMU's
Authority: Transport for Wales
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionTransport for Wales (TfW) are discussing a direct award with Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles S.A to manufacture and supply 10 additional DMU's to support the existing 77 units (DMU’s) operating on the Transport for Wales network along with a separate maintenance arrangement though a technical Support and spares supply agreement (TSSSA)
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
- Standard
- 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
- 17 Mar 2026, 09:19 GMT
- Last source update
- 17 Mar 2026, 09:19 GMT
- Authority reference
C001343.00- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-023821- Latest notice
- Transparency notice (UK5)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-066bb8Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Additional Repeat Extension Partial Replacement; Single Suppliers Intellectual Property Exclusive Rights
- Published justification
The additional 10 units are required as an addition to the current fleet of 77 units to provide resilience to support existing services operated out of Chester and Machynlleth and provide additional capacity on busy passenger routes by permitting flexible multiple unit configuration on capacity challenges services.
Units operating on the Wales and Cross Border (WCB) network have an absolute requirement to be interoperable with the existing WCB Class 197 fleet. This interoperability is required for critical safety, and operational reasons
The additional 10 units are required as an addition to the current fleet of 77 units to provide resilience to support existing services operated out of Chester and Machynlleth and provide additional capacity on busy passenger routes by permitting flexible multiple unit configuration on capacity challenges services.
Units operating on the Wales and Cross Border (WCB) network have an absolute requirement to be interoperable with the existing WCB Class 197 fleet. This interoperability is required for critical safety, and operational reasons
The additional 10 units are required as an addition to the current fleet of 77 units to provide resilience to support existing services operated out of Chester and Machynlleth and provide additional capacity on busy passenger routes by permitting flexible multiple unit configuration on capacity challenges services.
Units operating on the Wales and Cross Border (WCB) network have an absolute requirement to be interoperable with the existing WCB Class 197 fleet. This interoperability is required for critical safety, and operational reasons
Design constraints include Intellectual Property Right (IPR) challenges. Although IPR is licensed to the Operator and Owner this license does not give any rights to:
(a) manufacture, modify or convert parts interfacing with the Units and/or
(b) to manufacture the Units, spares or special equipment.
This IPR issue would therefore present serious design and post-design interoperability challenges that would be impossible to overcome.
Notice history
2 events · 1 release on Find a Tender · since 17 Mar 2026- Transparency notice published17 Mar 2026, 09:19 GMTUK5
- Contract signature expected1 Apr 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles S.A31 Oct 2030 – 31 Oct 2033 · up to 31 Oct 2035Extensions: Possible extension until 31.10.2035 for TSSSA | £88,400,000 | — | Standstill |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles S.AAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender