Official UK procurement notice
Ultrasonic Rail Testing Sticks
Authority: NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionNetwork Rail (Wales & Western) intends to award a contract via direct award under the Procurement Act (2023) to TrackSYS Non Destructive Testing (NDT) Limited to replace and upgrade the existing fleet of Ultrasonic Testing Sticks.
Network Rail uses Ultrasonic Rail Testing Sticks, also known as Pedestrian Rail Detection Systems, to detect internal flaws in rail infrastructure. These devices are critical to the broader non-destructive testing (NDT) strategy aimed at maintaining rail safety and reliability.
Due to the specific standards required for non-destructive testing, and the current fleet of products entering an End-of-Life phase, Product Acceptance was achieved on the TrackSYS UT Lite Pedestrian Ultrasonic Rail Tester in collaboration with TrackSYS NDT Ltd and Network Rail's Technical Authority.
Not proceeding with this procurement could put the Network Rail Wales Route at significant risk of not being able to equip inspection teams with functioning, compliant equipment.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Awarded
Procedure 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
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 16 Oct 2025, 15:03 BST
- Last source update
- 21 Jan 2026, 13:25 GMT
- Authority reference
Project_43839- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-005290- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05ce18Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Single Suppliers Intellectual Property Exclusive Rights; Single Suppliers Technical Reasons
- Published justification
To meet regulatory standards, Network Rail requires Product Acceptance through out Technical Authority to utilise products of this nature. This is a lengthy, collaborative process, the result of which being that TRACKSYS had the most effective product.
Schedule 5, Paragraph 5:
"The following conditions are met in relation to the public contract -
(a) due to a particular supplier having intellectual property rights or other exclusive rights, only that supplier can supply the goods, services, or works required; and
(b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services, works."
Schedule 5, Paragraph 6:
"The following conditions are met in relation to the public contract -
(a) due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods, services or works required; and
(b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works."
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- —
Timeline
7 Nov 2025 → 21 Jan 2026 · 2 dates- Standstill ends343 days ago7 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Notice published269 days ago21 Jan 2026, 13:25 GMT
Notice history
4 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 16 Oct 2025- Transparency notice published16 Oct 2025, 15:03 BSTUK5
- Contract award notice published29 Oct 2025, 10:56 GMTUK6
- Contract signature expected14 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMTscheduled
- Contract details notice published21 Jan 2026, 13:25 GMTUK7
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TrackSys Non-Destructive Testing LimitedUltrasonic Rail Testing Stick Replacement1 Apr 2026 – 31 Mar 2028 · up to 30 Mar 2029Extensions: Extension of 1 years dependant on the maintenance and servicing needs. · Options: The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. There is an additional innovative piece of equipment that could further improve the effectiveness of the products. Whether this option will be utilised is dependent on a number of unknown factors. This additional product has also been designed in collaboration with Network Rail's Technical Authority. | £1,547,000 | 29 Oct 2025 | Awarded |
Contracts
Ultrasonic Rail Testing Stick Replacement · TrackSys Non-Destructive Testing Limited
- Signed
- 14 Nov 2025
- Value
- £1,547,000
- Period
- 1 Apr 2026 – 31 Mar 2028 · up to 30 Mar 2029 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- Extension of 1 years dependant on the maintenance and servicing needs.
- Options
- The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. There is an additional innovative piece of equipment that could further improve the effectiveness of the products. Whether this option will be utilised is dependent on a number of unknown factors. This additional product has also been designed in collaboration with Network Rail's Technical Authority.
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- TrackSYS Non Destructive Testing LimitedAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender