Chiltern Rail - Train Planning & Rostering System Replacement

CHILTERN RAIL LIMITED

Published: Sep 18, 2026

Updated: Sep 18, 2026

Source: uk_fts

About This Opportunity

This is a consulting contract in the information and communication technology and transport and logistics sectors, with a focus on Software, Cloud Services, Data Analytics and Rail Transport. Located in United Kingdom, Europe, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums, with an estimated budget of GBP 6.5 million.

Published through UK FTS - Find a Tender Service, a national government procurement portal. Public procurement tenders follow the country's national bidding regulations and may have specific eligibility and documentation requirements for consulting in the information and communication technology sector. Consulting assignments are typically evaluated with a strong emphasis on the technical proposal, including the methodology and qualifications of key experts. Shortlisted firms may be invited to submit financial proposals in a second stage. Interested parties should review the full documentation on the original source before submitting their proposal.

Description

Chiltern Railways is seeking to procure supplier-hosted software solutions and associated services to replace its existing Train Planning and Rostering systems. The procurement is divided into two Lots: Lot 1 - Train Planning System; and Lot 2 - Rostering System. Lot 1 is for the provision, implementation, hosting, support and maintenance of a Train Planning System. The solution is required to support train planning and diagramming activities, including the creation, import, editing, validation, management and publication of timetables, schedules, rolling stock diagrams and traincrew diagrams. The solution must support planning data management, timetable change management, scenario modelling, auditability, version control, reporting, user permissions and secure data exchange with relevant operational and business systems. Lot 2 is for the provision, implementation, hosting, support and maintenance of a Rostering System. The solution is required to support base, weekly and daily rostering for relevant staff groups, including traincrew, station staff and fleet/engineering staff. The solution must support roster creation, validation, publication and management, allocation of staff to duties, management of leave, overtime, shift swaps, fatigue and risk assessment, identification of uncovered turns and roster coverage gaps, employee self-service, reporting, auditability, user permissions and secure data exchange with relevant operational and business systems. For each Lot, the successful supplier will be required to provide a fully managed, vendor-hosted solution. This includes the software, hosting, configuration, implementation, data migration, integration, testing, training, change management, documentation, support, maintenance, updates, service management, information security, business continuity, disaster recovery, contract management and exit assistance required to deliver and operate the relevant solution. Bidders may participate in respect of Lot 1, Lot 2, or both Lots. Chiltern Railways may award Lot 1 and Lot 2 to different suppliers or may award both Lots to the same supplier in accordance with the procurement documents and award methodology. The estimated value of Lot 1 is £140,000 to £430,000 per annum and £1,000,000 to £3,000,000 over the full contract term, including any optional extension period. The estimated value of Lot 2 is £210,000 to £500,000 per annum and £1,500,000 to £3,500,000 over the full contract term, including any optional extension period. The estimated combined value of Lot 1 and Lot 2 is £2,500,000 to £6,500,000 excluding VAT over the full contract term, including any optional extension period. The estimated contract start date is 26 July 2027. The indicative operational go-live date is 1 March 2028, being the date from which the system is expected to start being rolled out and used by Chiltern Railways staff. The indicative implementation complete date is 30 June 2028, being the date by which the system is expected to be fully implemented, tested, accepted where applicable, ready for and/or used in live operational production, and to have completed dual running with the incumbent tools. The initial contract term is expected to be 60 months, with an option for Chiltern Railways to extend for a further period or periods of up to 24 months in total. Lot 1 is for the provision, implementation, hosting, support and maintenance of a Train Planning System for Chiltern Railways. The solution is required to support Chiltern Railways' train planning and diagramming activities, including the creation, import, editing, validation, management and publication of timetables, schedules, rolling stock diagrams and traincrew diagrams. The solution must also support planning data management across relevant timetable periods, short-term and long-term planning, service changes, cancellations, scenario modelling, auditability, version control, reporting, configurable user roles, permissions and secure data exchange with relevant operational and business systems, including rail industry systems where applicable. The successful supplier will be required to provide a fully managed, vendor-hosted solution. This includes the software, hosting, configuration, implementation, data migration, integration, testing, training, change management, documentation, support, maintenance, updates, service management, information security, business continuity, disaster recovery, contract management and exit assistance required to deliver and operate the Train Planning System. The estimated value of Lot 1 is £140,000 to £430,000 per annum and £1,000,000 to £3,000,000 excluding VAT over the full contract term, including any optional extension period. The initial contract term is expected to be 60 months, with an option for Chiltern Railways to extend for a further period or periods of up to 24 months in total. Lot 2 is for the provision, implementation, hosting, support and maintenance of a Rostering System for Chil

Data provenance

This notice is sourced from UK FTS - Find a Tender Service and was originally published on September 18, 2026. Last refreshed today. Reference: 088883-2026. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.

About CHILTERN RAIL LIMITED

CHILTERN RAIL LIMITED has issued 2 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 2 currently open and 0 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in Transport & Logistics, Architecture & Engineering Services, and General Supplies & Services. All notices are published for United Kingdom. Notices are distributed via UK FTS - Find a Tender Service. Most recent publication: September 18, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about this tender

How can I submit a bid?

Visit UK FTS - Find a Tender Service to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions. Quote reference 088883-2026 when communicating with the contracting authority.

Who is the contracting authority?

This notice was issued by CHILTERN RAIL LIMITED in United Kingdom. The authority is responsible for evaluating bids, awarding the contract, and managing performance.

What type of contract is this?

This is a Consulting contract in the Information & Communication Technology sector. The classification helps bidders match the opportunity to their qualifications and registered scope of supply.

What is the estimated budget?

The estimated contract value is £6,500,000 - £6,500,000. Bidders should ensure their proposals are consistent with this range and account for any local taxes and contract execution costs.

Where will the contract be performed?

The contract is for delivery in United Kingdom. Foreign bidders should review local registration, taxation, and any in-country presence requirements before submitting.