Supply of Clamplocks and Associated Items

Location

United Kingdom: UK Railway infrastructure as maintained by Network Rail

Description

This is a voluntary ex ante transparency (VEAT) notice. This notice is to indicate that Network Rail intends to contract with SPX Flow Technology Limited for the purchase of Clamplocks/ Inbearer Clamplocks and associated items which form part of point operating systems.

Total Quantity or Scope

It is a requirement that the Clamplock equipment is PA approved on the Network to ensure safe operation of the railway. The scope of works are purely limited to supply of components. Clamplocks are safety critical components for point operating mechanisms. Any failure of points operating equipment within the signalling/infrastructure introduces multiple risks to the network which could potentially result in line closure and delays with the possibility of injury arising from failure of points operating correctly. The requirement is national, with Clamplocks being used across the whole network. The supplier for this requirement is SPX Flow technology Limited, they have been supplying Clamplocks for the last 30 years to Network Rail and own all associated IPR relative to the assemblies and components for this requirement.

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 34940000 - Railway equipment
• 34632200 - Electrical signalling equipment for railways
• 34941800 - Railway points

Legal Justification

This requirement falls under provision 50-1-C-iii of the Utilities Contract Regulations 2016, which stipulates that a procurement activity without call to competition may be implemented if exclusive rights such as intellectual property will be breached as a result. This is relevant to the designs of SPX as they currently hold IPR rights for all components constituting Clamplock assemblies. Given the above considerations,there are no other reasonable alternatives at this time that would satisfy Network Rails requirements. Justification for this STA can also be seen in 50-1-E of the Utilities Contract Regulations 2016, detailing the technical difficulty of adoption of new technology It has been confirmed by Network Rail Technical Authority, that by changing the design from that other than that of SPX’s, it would result in either incompatibility and or disproportionate technical difficulties, in approving/ commissioning new Clamplock systems.

Other Information

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