Passenger Services Cost Benchmarking Study

What the buyer is asking for

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the independent economic and safety regulator of Britain's railways. ORR is developing its capability to assess the efficiency, productivity and value for money of passenger train operations. Historically, passenger services have been delivered through a range of Train Operating Companies (TOCs), each with differing operating characteristics, service patterns and cost structures. As most of the industry moves towards a more integrated railway structure, ORR requires a robust framework for understanding variations in train operating expenditure and for benchmarking performance across the railway. Previous analytical work has demonstrated that econometric benchmarking of the cost of passenger operators is feasible using Great Britain rail industry data and has identified several statistically significant drivers of operating costs. However, further work is required to strengthen understanding of the key cost drivers and the relationships between them, identify appropriate benchmarking methodologies, and develop a practical framework that drives better value for money through comparative analysis, helping to identify opportunities for efficiency improvements and enhanced cost control. A robust cost benchmarking framework will support ORR's future regulatory role by providing an evidence base for understanding cost variation, assessing relative efficiency and identifying opportunities for improvement. The outputs from this study will help inform future cost performance assessment, advice to funders and value-for-money analysis across passenger rail services.

What you must already have

Conditions of participation. These are pass or fail, so check them before writing anything.

• Open to all UK suppliers only.

How contested is this?

Buyers publish how many bids they received. Across 25 comparable procurements we can tell you the typical field size, how often one of these goes uncontested, and whether the buyer awards on price or on quality.

Timeline

3 published dates · Europe/London

1. Tender notice published10 days ago

   27 Oct 2026, 14:04 GMT
2. Clarification questions byin 3 days

   9 Nov 2026, 17:00 GMT
3. Submission deadlinein 17 days

   23 Nov 2026, 17:00 GMT

Commercial outcome and contract awards

Nothing awarded yet

Notice history

1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender

1. Tender notice27 Oct 2026, 14:04 GMT101583-2026

Documents

• ITT Link
• Registration for e-tendering portal
• ITT
• Tender notice on Find a Tender