Wi-Fi Support and Maintenance for Elizabeth Line, London Overground and Docklands Light Railway

Concepts

• icomera wi-fi infrastructure
• wi-fi support services
• wi-fi infrastructure
• proprietary wi-fi infrastructure
• wi-fi
• the continued wi-fi support services
• (wi-fi support services
• the wi-fi support services
• maintenance staff
• docklands light railway

Location

Description

Transport for London (TfL) intends to directly award a contract to Icomera UK Ltd (Icomera) (Icomera Contract) for the support and maintenance of proprietary Wi-Fi infrastructure installed on the Elizabeth Line (EL), London Overground (LO), and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) fleet. The WiFi infrastructure (Wi-Fi Infrastructure) originally procured and installed by the train manufacturer on the EL, LO and DLR is an infrastructure provided by Icomera. The Wi-Fi Infrastructure is propriety to Icomera. Following the installation of the Wi-Fi Infrastructure by the train manufacturer the on-going support, maintenance and service management of the Wi-Fi Infrastructure is the responsibility of TfL (Wi-Fi Support Services). Based on this and the fact the Wi-Fi Infrastructure is proprietary to Icomera, TfL require Icomera to provide Wi-Fi Support Services. Therefore, TfL requires a contract to be in place with Icomera to ensure the on-going provision of the Wi-Fi Support Services. Scope EL and LO In support of the London Mayor's Transport Strategy, TfL committed to enabling Wi-Fi connectivity on EL and LO trains from the start of their respective service operations. TfL offers Wi-Fi to make travel more convenient for the public, support digital services like ticketing and live updates, and meet the growing expectation for reliable connectivity on public transport. As part of the rolling stock procurement, new fleets were required to be Wi-Fi enabled. The Wi-Fi Infrastructure installed on these fleets was provided as part of the train manufacturing process by the rolling stock manufacturer. In addition, TfL continues to require support for the Wi-Fi Infrastructure, including data transfer between trains and wayside systems, and ongoing monitoring, optimisation, and enforcement of usage policies to ensure reliable service for passengers. DLR Further to the continued Wi-Fi Support Services for the EL and LO, a new fleet of trains has also been procured for the DLR, each equipped with Icomera Wi-Fi Infrastructure for maintenance staff. Unlike the EL and LO, the DLR Icomera system will be used for operational and maintenance monitoring, rather than public-facing services. However, as with the EL and LO fleets, the external facing mobile and Wi-Fi router and Wi-Fi Infrastructure is also propriety to Icomera. Therefore, as is the case with the EL and LO, TfL require Icomera to provide external facing data transfer via mobile and Wi-Fi networks and Wi-Fi Support Services for the new fleet of DLR trains.

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• None found

Legal Justification

Under Section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023, a direct award is permitted where specific conditions are met. In this case, the criteria under Schedule 5, Paragraphs 5 and 6 apply: • Paragraph 5: Only Icomera can supply the required services due to exclusive intellectual property rights, and there are no reasonable alternatives. • Paragraph 6: Due to technical reasons and lack of competition, only Icomera can deliver the required services, and no reasonable alternatives exist. Direct Award - Justifications: The justifications for this direct award are based on the following technical and proprietary considerations: • Proprietary Infrastructure: The Wi-Fi Infrastructure installed on the rolling stock units are based on Icomera's proprietary hardware and software architecture. This includes onboard routers, access points, and connectivity modules that are uniquely configured to interface with Icomera's cloud-based management platform and analytics tools. Only Icomera is authorised to provide firmware updates, security patches, and performance optimisation for this infrastructure. • Integrated System Design: The Icomera solution is deeply integrated into the train's onboard systems, including power supply, data interfaces, and physical mounting configurations. Replacing this infrastructure would require a complete redesign of the onboard network architecture, including re-certification of safety-critical components and re-engineering of train systems to accommodate alternative equipment. • Exclusive Support Capability: Icomera's Network Operations Centre (NOC) and remote monitoring tools are tailored to their proprietary systems. No third-party provider has access to the diagnostic protocols, configuration tools, or service APIs required to manage and maintain the infrastructure effectively. • Operational Disruption Risk: Transitioning to a new supplier would involve decommissioning existing equipment, procuring and installing new systems, and coordinating with train manufacturers to support integration and testing. This would introduce significant cost, time, and operational risk, particularly given the need to maintain uninterrupted service across active fleets.

Other Information

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