Follow Tenderlake on LinkedIn for concise insights on public-sector tenders and emerging procurement signals.

London Underground has opened early market engagement on a turnkey programme to replace and repair ageing systems on its Jubilee line fleet, aiming to stabilise reliability and maintainability and keep the trains in service until around 2045. The exercise will test whether a single supplier can deliver an end-to-end solution more effectively than an in-house integration model.

The buyer describes the initiative as the Jubilee Line System Replacement Project. It targets the 1996 Train Stock (96TS), where several onboard systems now suffer from obsolescence that is constraining day-to-day availability and making maintenance harder. The plan is to select a delivery route following early engagement with suppliers, then implement across all 63 trains in the fleet.

What is in scope

The engagement sets out a core scope for full replacement and an extended scope for replacement or obsolescence treatment. London Underground identifies preferred technical directions from prior optioneering, while remaining open to supplier delivery approaches.

Core replacements: Train Management System (including Incident Recorder), Passenger Information System, and saloon CCTV.
Extended scope: Propulsion inverter electronics and saloon/cab fluorescent lighting (replacement); traction brake controller, cab and saloon HVAC controllers, and de-icer controller (obsolescence treatment/repair).

Under the envisaged turnkey route, a supplier would deliver design, prototyping, manufacture, installation, and testing and commissioning of the replacement systems across the fleet, with work completed in full “at their facility”. The buyer will weigh proposed approaches, costs and delivery timelines against its internal estimates and the alternative in-house integration model.

Make versus Buy

To date, the project has assumed a “Make” scenario in which London Underground procures each system from third parties and integrates them at an in-house production facility. The current exercise pivots to test a “Buy” scenario: a single supplier takes responsibility for an integrated, turnkey programme covering all systems of concern.

The decision will hinge on value for money, schedule confidence and whole-life performance. The buyer frames success in terms of RAMS (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety), with a clear target: sustain adequate fleet performance until the mid‑2040s when replacement is expected. The engagement is also explicit that the outcome will determine the preferred delivery modality taken forward to tender.

The market engagement is planned to include a questionnaire to interested suppliers and technical clarification meetings, with review activity flagged for late 2025 and early 2026. The published dates are indicative and provide context for when the buyer expects to refine its procurement route.

A wider turn to turnkey and obsolescence management

The move reflects a broader pattern in rail and metro procurement: bundling multiple life‑expired systems into integrated programmes, and asking suppliers to take on system integration and obsolescence management responsibilities.

In February 2024, a national infrastructure manager sought turnkey, train‑borne infrastructure monitoring solutions to replace life‑expired assets and meet rising performance needs.
In January 2025, a city transport authority launched a trams control system renewal to replace obsolete components and secure ongoing maintenance and support.
In September 2025, a regional transport body sought a technology partner to renew a tramway supervisory and controls system, with emphasis on future integration.
Further afield, in December 2023, a national rail operator procured a comprehensive package of onboard and station systems—PIS/PA, CCTV, passenger call points, obstacle detection and SCADA—under its Supporting Systems (SuSy) contract, including operation, maintenance and obsolescence management.
And in October 2024, a high‑speed rail programme sought the design and manufacture of on‑track machines for maintenance and monitoring, bundling design, testing and training into one procurement.

Taken together, these notices point to a pragmatic shift: rather than piecemeal upgrades, buyers are leaning on industry to deliver integrated programmes that resolve multiple obsolescence points in one pass, with clearer accountability for integration and through‑life performance.

Integration, risk and delivery

The Jubilee line programme places a premium on integration. The supplier would be expected to align new TMS, PIS and CCTV with repaired or replaced subsystems such as traction, HVAC controllers and de‑icing—without undermining safety or availability. That means careful sequencing of design, prototyping and fleet‑wide rollout, and robust interfaces with existing train control and depot maintenance processes.

Key points for suppliers include:

System architecture: A modern TMS sits at the heart of onboard data and control. Integrating it with incident recording, passenger information and CCTV will demand a coherent architecture and disciplined change control.
Obsolescence treatment: Repairs to traction brake and HVAC controllers need parts support and assurance that extends to 2045. Clear plans for spares, repair loops and redesign triggers will be scrutinised.
Manufacture and test capacity: Delivering prototyping, build, installation and testing across 63 trains requires predictable throughput and access to facilities. The buyer signals an expectation that suppliers complete the programme “at their facility”.
RAMS evidence: The stated goal is to maintain acceptable reliability and availability levels. Proposals will need credible RAMS cases tied to rollout schedules and operational constraints.

The extended scope also signals where value could be unlocked. LED lighting replacements can reduce energy and maintenance burden; refreshed propulsion inverter electronics can enhance reliability; while targeted repairs avoid wholesale change where risks or costs are disproportionate. The balance between replacement and repair will shape cost and delivery timelines.

Timeline and next steps

Published in October 2025, the early market engagement outlines a staged process: distribution of a market sounding questionnaire, review of submissions and technical clarification meetings in late 2025 and early 2026, with further clarifications if required. The buyer states that the engagement will determine the preferred delivery route, which will then be taken to tender for a fleet‑wide implementation.

What to watch next:

Whether the buyer confirms the turnkey “Buy” route or retains in‑house integration.
How the final scope is split between full replacement and obsolescence treatment.
Supplier approaches to RAMS, programme sequencing and test capacity for a fleet rollout.
Alignment with related control system renewals across urban rail, as seen in the trams control system renewal and the Metrolink supervisory upgrade.

For now, London Underground’s consultation puts the onus on the market: show that a bundled, end‑to‑end programme can resolve multiple obsolescence pressures and assure reliable service across the Jubilee line for two more decades.

Urban rail tests turnkey overhaul to extend ageing train lifespans