01.12.15
TfN seeks professional services and engineering partners in £80m contract
Transport for the North (TfN) is on the lookout for transport partners that can advise on all services, from civil engineering to architectural design, under a framework contract worth £60m to £80m.
These services are being procured on its behalf by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), which will hand control of the framework over to TfN once it becomes a formal body with contracting powers.
The overarching contract includes 24 lots comprising all major elements of the authority’s responsibilities, including its systems, strategy, commercial, financial, design and engineering services.
These are split into three main consultancy services: railway systems, intelligent transport systems and public transport operations.
The first, for example, will include investigating, planning, designing, operating and maintaining the network, while the second comprises integrating technology systems and designing single-mode and multi-modal control centres.
Other contract components will see TfN’s partner or partners provide strategic guidance on network modelling (including micro-simulation transport modelling for specific schemes), ticketing and fares, data collection, and transport-wide engineering works (including project management, surveying, and mechanical and electrical engineering).
The contract, with a bidding process open until 12 February of next year, will last for four years.
It is unclear how many companies could win work, but tenders may be submitted for more than one lot.
The government announced last week that it is to provide £150m to help deliver smart ticketing across the north of England, with a joint implementation plan to be worked up by TfN and the DfT ahead of next spring’s Budget.
Ticketing is one of the areas covered by the new framework, though individual PTEs and city-regions have been working on their own smart ticketing schemes.
TfGM’s plans have been disrupted recently after its original contract with private firm Atos was scrapped in August. An update is expected when the next Northern and TransPennine franchises are awarded later this month.
All organisations affiliated with TfN, including Rail North, pteg, Centro, Merseytravel and relevant local councils will be able to make use of the new framework.
Companies can apply via the e-procurement Due North website.
(Top image c. Alex Thorkildsen)