Section one: Contracting entity
one.1) Name and addresses
NORTHERN TRAINS LIMITED
George Stephenson House
York
YO16JT
Contact
Robin Horsman
Robin.Horsman@northernrailway.co.uk
Telephone
+44 7827937566
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKE21 - York
Companies House
03076444
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.6) Main activity
Railway services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Provision of Ticketing Retailing Equipment and Support Services for use onboard rail services.
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 50220000 - Repair, maintenance and associated services related to railways and other equipment
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Extension to the current agreement for the Provision of Ticketing Retailing Equipment and Support Services for use onboard rail services 'STARmobile' from 1 August 2025 until December 2026.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 30123100 - Ticket-validation machines
- 30144200 - Ticket-issuing machines
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKC - North East (England)
- UKD - North West (England)
- UKE - Yorkshire and the Humber
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Extension to the current agreement for the Provision of Ticketing Retailing Equipment and Support Services for use onboard rail services from 1 August 2025 until December 2026.
This includes over 600 STARmobile devices and the support and maintenance of over 600 devices at 23 depots used in ticket selling, validation of digital tickets and processing of unpaid fares notices and penalty fares
On the 12th March 2025 the current service provider published a notification of the End of Service Life (EOSL) for STARmobile and confirmed that this system will no longer be supported for operational for use beyond the end of 2026. Ticket retailing is critical activity for Northern Trains, and other Train Operating Companies (TOC's), and continuity in support activities until December 2026 will allow time for NTL to approach the market to source a replacement onboard train ticket retailing solution.
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
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:
Award a contract directly as this approach is allowed under the UCR's where restrictions on the use of IPR do not trigger a requirement to conduct a new OJEU-compliant tender process.
We believe in this circumstance the following is applicable:
There are grounds where NTL as public body could award a subsequent contract to a third party using the exemptions in Regulation 50 of the UCR. This exemption is provided for under the UCR Regulation 50(1)(c) which allows Utilities to award a contract where the works, supplies or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier because competition is absent for technical reasons and where no reasonable alternative or substitute exists. The supplier owns copyright and the IPR in all the software. The absence of competition is not the result of an artificial narrowing down of the parameters of the procurement
The works, supplies or services can only be supplied only by a particular supplier because competition is absent for technical reasons and where no reasonable alternative or substitute exists. The supplier owns copyright and the IPR in all the software. The absence of competition is not the result of an artificial narrowing down of the parameters of the procurement.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2025/S 000-041488
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
31 July 2025
five.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Fujitsu Services
Bracknell
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKJ1 - Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Companies House
0096056
The contractor is an SME
No
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Department for Transport
Great Minster House,
London
SW1P 4DR
Country
United Kingdom