Operations processing system (TOPS & POIS)

Location

London

Description

The TOPS and POIS Replacement Project is required to deliver a solution to replace in-use functionality of the existing application under the adoption of modern technologies, thus avoiding innovation limitation, technical debt, operational risk and extended support agreements for these two mission critical services. TOPS is a mainframe system procured by British Rail (BR) from Southern Pacific in the early 1970s. It is a complex, command-driven system, originally designed for the management and control of freight vehicles and trains to provide real-time information of the whereabouts, loading, consignee, condition, etc. of freight vehicles. Since the introduction of TOPS to BR, the system has been expanded to handle locomotive activities and information about loco-hauled passenger operations, via a sub-system named POIS. The average freight traffic is currently 500 trains per day but may increase going forward.

Total Quantity or Scope

TOPS is a mainframe system procured by British Rail (BR) from Southern Pacific in the early 1970s. It is a complex, command-driven system, originally designed for the management and control of freight vehicles and trains to provide real-time information of the whereabouts, loading, consignee, condition, etc. of freight vehicles. Since the introduction of TOPS to BR, the system has been expanded to handle locomotive activities and information about loco-hauled passenger operations, via a sub-system named POIS. The average freight traffic is currently 500 trains per day but may increase going forward.

CPV Codes

• 72212100 - Industry specific software development services
• 48000000 - Software package and information systems
• 48100000 - Industry specific software package
• 72222300 - Information technology services

Indicators

Other Information

Network Rail are planning to issue an ITT via the competitive Flexible Procedure Q1/Q2 of 2026. This is a prior notice of our intent to issue the ITT.