Section one: Contracting entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Transport for Wales Rail Limited (Utility Buyer)
3 Llys Cadwyn, Pontypridd
Rhondda Cynon Taf
CF37 4TH
Contact
Head of Procurement
procurement.help@tfwrail.wales
Telephone
+44 3333211202
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKL - Wales
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA80566
one.1) Name and addresses
Transport for Wales
3 Llys Cadwyn, Taff Street
Pontypridd
CF37 4TH
Contact
Head of Procurement
Telephone
+44 2921673434
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKL - Wales
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA50685
one.1) Name and addresses
Welsh Ministers
Crown Buildings, King Edward VII Avenue, Cathays Park
Caerdydd / Cardiff
CF10 3NQ
Contact
James Arden
Telephone
+44 2922787624
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKL - Wales
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA0007
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract involves joint procurement
one.6) Main activity
Railway services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Cambrian Rail Partnership No.1 LLP for the manufacture, supply, maintenance and leasing of 11 x 4-car class 231 diesel electric multiple units ("DeMUs")
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 34600000 - Railway and tramway locomotives and rolling stock and associated parts
two.1.3) Type of contract
Supplies
two.1.4) Short description
Cambrian Rail Partnership No.1 LLP for the manufacture, supply, maintenance and leasing of 11 x 4-car class 231 diesel electric multiple units ("DeMUs")
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £361,003,000
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 34600000 - Railway and tramway locomotives and rolling stock and associated parts
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKL - Wales
Main site or place of performance
Wales and parts of England
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Cambrian Rail Partnership No.1 LLP for the manufacture, supply, maintenance and leasing of 11 x 4-car class 231 diesel electric multiple units (“DeMUs”)
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Ability to meet changed requirements / Weighting: 50
Price - Weighting: 50
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
TfW will either-1.purchase DeMUs in 2033 for a fixed residual value ("RV") sum, or lease them until at least 2048 (or pay a termination sum); or 2.if not purchased in 2033, purchase the DeMUs in 2048 for a fixed RV sum, or lease them until at least 2058 (or pay a termination sum); and 3.if it has not purchased DeMUs in 2048, purchase them in 2058 for their then market value
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2.14) Additional information
This award is a variation of existing contracts originally between Keolis Amey Operations / Gweithrediadau Keolis Amey Limited (“KA”), the then operator of Wales and Borders Franchise and Cambrian Rail Partnership No.1 LLP, Stadler Bussnang A.G and Stadler Rail Service UK Limited for the manufacture, supply, maintenance and leasing of 11 x 4-car class 231 diesel electric multiple units ("DeMUs").
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
- protection of exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights
Explanation:
Due to TfWRL "stepping in" in place of KA as operator of last resort and the consequent transfer of maintenance staff to the public sector, it has become necessary to re-negotiate the maintenance arrangements agreed by KA for the DeMUs with the Owners, as set out in more detail in the "Additional Information" section.
The Owners have certain exclusive rights (in particular intellectual property rights in the design of the DeMUs) and contractual rights under the existing maintenance arrangements. As a condition of agreeing to the revised maintenance arrangements, the Owners require protection against the additional risks that the revised arrangements present, as set out in more detail in the "Additional information" section.
Accordingly, TfWRL, TfW and/or WM are entitled to enter into the revised arrangements under Reg. 32(2)(b)(iii) PCR / Reg. 50(2)(b)(iii) UCR (protection of exclusive rights).
Further or in the alternative, it would not be practically possible from an IP ownership perspective nor a technical perspective for anyone other than Stadler to carry out the hybridisation work, or to carry out the revised maintenance service and role. Accordingly, WM, TfW and/or TfWRL are also entitled to rely on reg. 32(2)(b)(ii) PCR / reg. 50(2)(b)(ii) UCR (competition is absent for technical reasons).
The rationale is set out in more detail in the "Additional Information" section.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
Section five. Award of contract
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
22 December 2022
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 1
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: Yes
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Cambrian Rail Partnership No.1 LLP
3rd Floor, South Building, 200 Aldersgate Street
London
EC1A 4HD
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKI - London
National registration number
OC424292
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Stadler Rail Service UK Limited
1 Mann Island (8th Floor)
Liverpool
L3 1BP
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKD - North West (England)
National registration number
09894948
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £361,003,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £361,003,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
Due to Covid-19 restrictions/related matters, TfWRL replaced KA in February 2021 under s.30 of the Railways Act 1993. TfWRL and parent TfW are contracting authorities and also utilities in relation to the rail network. Welsh Ministers (WM) are a contracting authority. Due to WMs' and TfW's decision to keep in the public sector maintenance workers who had transferred from KA to TfWRL under TUPE, changes were negotiated to the maintenance agreements associated with the DeMUs so that the agreements become Technical Support and Spares Supply Agreements (TSSSAs) instead of Train Services Agreements (TSAs), with TfWRL taking over the role of the maintainer of the DeMUs. TfWRL replaces SRS UK as maintainer, with SRS UK taking on a technical support and spares supply role. As a result, some knock-on amendments to the Manufacture and Supply Agreements (MSAs) are also required to bring them in line with the change in maintenance arrangements. In addition, as part of its de-carbonisation programme, Welsh Ministers require that the DeMUs be converted to hybrid diesel-electric vehicles ("hybridisation") and the parties will work together to agree a hybridisation programme by January 2023. As a consequence of these changes, and to protect the Owners of the DeMUs from additional risks involved in the move from a TSA to a TSSSA (in particular re: their ability to re-lease the DeMUs at the backstop date in the Protected Rolling Stock Letters (a form of assurance provided by Welsh Ministers to the Owners), being 16 October 2033) the parties have agreed that TfW must:
- purchase the DeMUs in 2033 for a fixed RV sum, or instead (at its option) lease them for a period until at least 2048 (or pay a termination sum); or
- if it has not purchased the DeMUs in 2033, purchase them in 2048 for a fixed RV sum, or instead (at its option) lease them for a period until at least 2058 (or pay a termination sum); and
- if it has not purchased the DeMUs in 2048, purchase them in 2058 for a sum representing the market value of the DeMUs at that time.
If the conditions for hybridisation are not satisfied by an agreed deadline or TfW decide not to proceed with hybridisation conversion works by an agreed deadline, the parties will either:
- continue with the TSSSA maintenance arrangements (with compensation/additional protections for the Owner to reflect the impact of a TSSSA rather than a TSA to be agreed); or
-revert to the existing TSA for both the DeMUs and the fleet of Tri-Mode Units owned by Valley 1 Rail Partnership No.1 LLP (given their practical maintenance links) (with the Owner being compensated for the impact of having the TSSSA in place in the interim).
As noted above, the extension to 2058 of the period during which TfW undertake to pay a termination sum unless the units remain on lease has been made on the basis to protect the Owner from the additional risks involved in the move from a TSA to a TSSSA, and is made on the basis of the protection of the exclusive rights of the Owner as the owner of the DeMUs.
As Stadler owns the Intellectual Property in the DeMUs, and is the original supplier of the DeMUs, the parties jointly agree that in order to protect the exclusive rights of Stadler, Stadler will undertake the hybridisation works, and will provide the revised TSSSA services (and assist TfW in providing the revised maintenance arrangements). It would not be practically possible from an IP ownership perspective nor a technical perspective for anyone other than Stadler to carry out the hybridisation work, or to carry out the strategic TSSSA service and role.
Further or in the alternative, WM, TfW and TfWRL are entitled to rely on reg. 32(2)(b)(ii) PCR / reg. 50(2)(b)(ii) UCR (competition is absent for technical reasons) for the reasons stated above.
(WA Ref:127497)
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
High Court
Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
Telephone
+44 2079477501
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:
As set out in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 / Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016.
Note that this is a relevant contract award notice under Reg. 93(2)(a), (3) and (4) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and/or Reg. 108(2)(a), (3) and (4) of the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016. Therefore the limitation period for seeking a remedy of ineffectiveness is 30 days from the date of publication of this notice.