Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2020-09-16
Buyer: Northern Trains Ltd
Country: UK
Contract type: Supplies
Procedure: Contract award without prior publication
CPV classification: 32320000

Technical requirements: Variation of an Agreement to Include Additional Equipment Requirements to an Enhanced Passenger Information System
Northern Trains has obligations to modify and install certain train fleets with Enhanced PIS Media Screen systems and is currently part way through a programme of works to install and commission these systems. Northern now needs to secure the provision of further equipment to complete the programme of works on its remaining fleets of trains requiring the modification.
Northern Trains has obligations to modify and install certain train fleets with Enhanced PIS Media Screen systems and is currently part way through a programme of works to install and commission these systems. Northern now needs to secure the provision of further equipment to complete the programme of works on its remaining fleets of trains requiring the modification. The equipment provided under this contract will need to integrate and operate seamlessly with existing networked Media Screen system already installed on Northern's existing fleets.
The scope of the procurement will cover the supply and commissioning of Enhanced PIS Media Screens equipment required for installing to 64 two car Diesel Multiple Units, 59 three car Diesel Multiple Units and 7 four car Electrical Multiple Units.
The variation of the contract is permissible under the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016, namely regulation 88 ‘Modification of contracts during their term’ and in particular paragraphs (1) (b) (i) and (ii).
The extension of this contract, originally awarded to Panasonic on the 15 November 2019 following a procurement competition, is necessary because almost half of Northern's train fleets have already been (or are due to be) fitted with this Panasonic’s Media Screen System equipment solution which also operates with back office software systems supplied and hosted by Panasonic. This Panasonic equipment solution has undergone system testing, cyber security testing and system acceptance by Northern to work securely and reliably with other connected onboard systems with which it integrates over an onboard ethernet backbone and has been proven to work when operating as a single multiple unit and when coupled with other multiple Units to form a larger multiple unit. Any third party’s equipment and system would therefore need to be interoperable with existing Panasonic equipment to enable successful coupling to a Multiple Unit train fitted with Panasonic equipment. This would therefore require a re-design of the whole Train onboard network configuration, significant system and cyber security testing and must be proven as a solution before being accepted for installation and integration into the Train fleet.
Panasonic also provide a hosting and support service for their solutions fitted to Northern’s Train fleets which could be extended to include the additional Train fleets. For a third party supplier to provide a similar hosting and support service for their solution would lead to significant duplication of resource, servers, infrastructure and licence costs. We would lose any economies of scale available for supporting an increased existing equipment base and add complexity and additional risk to Northern’s cyber security programme with implications for its Network and Information Systems (NIS) Directive compliance. Northern would also have to duplicate training for staff to enable the use of a second back office systems required for the third party equipment as well as incur disproportionate costs associated with additional stock holding of spares for maintenance requirements.
In consideration of the above, a change of contractor cannot be made due to technical and economic factors and would cause significant inconvenience and substantial duplication of costs for Northern.


Winner: Panasonic Marketing Europe GmbH