Independent Assessor (AsBo, ApBo and DeBo) for the Cardiff Central Enhancement Programme (CCEP)

With a projected passenger growth of over 50% by 2043 means there is a need to upgrade the Cardiff Central railway station to meet the additional passenger demand whilst enhancing the passenger experience and integrating sustainable travel modes. Cardiff Central Enhancement Programme (CCEP), led by Transport for Wales (TfW) on behalf of the Welsh Government, proposes a series of enhancements at the station to address the following drivers for change:

• Alleviate congestion and improve capacity within the station.
• Improve user experience and facilities.
• Enhance interchange, connectivity, and resilience.

The aim of this contract notice is to procure an independent assessment and verification services for CCEP.

The scope of this contract is to provide independent assessment and verification services for the Cardiff Central Enhancements Programme (CCEP).

The CCEP project scope can be found in Annex 1.

The project is managed and delivered by TfW, which is a company set up by Welsh Government to manage the transport infrastructure on behalf of the Welsh Government. In the context of this project, TfW is a third-party developer on Network Rail infrastructure.

The project is governed through the TfW ‘Plan of Works’ (PoW) project lifecycle, which aligns with the Network Rail Project Acceleration in a Controlled Environment (PACE) project lifecycle as shown below:

TfW Plan of Work (PoW)

Stage A – Develop Output Requirements and Options

Stage B – Options Development and Selection

Stage C – Preliminary Design

Stage D – Statutory Process

Stage E – Detailed Design

Stage F – Construct, Commission and Handover

Stage G - Closeout

Network Rail PACE

Phase 1 – Strategic Development & Project Selection

ES1

Phase 1 – Strategic Development & Project Selection

ES2

Phase 1 – Strategic Development & Project Selection

ES3

Phase 2 – Project Development & Design

ES4

Phase 2 – Project Development & Design

ES5

Phase 3 – Project Delivery

ES6

Phase 4 – Project Close

ES7

Phase 4 – Project Close

ES8

The proposed works will be carried out in accordance with the Railways (Interoperability) Regulations 2011 (as amended) (RIR) and the Common Safety Method for Risk Evaluation & Assessment (CSM-REA).

The Supplier shall provide the following roles for the project:

− Assessment Body (AsBo) to provide independent verification for compliance with CSM-REA;

− Approved Body (ApBo) to provide independent verification for interoperability in accordance with the applicable National Technical Specifications Notifications (NTSNs) under the RIR;

− Designated Body (DeBo) to provide independent verification for interoperability in accordance with the applicable National Technical Rules (NTRs) under the RIR.

The above roles shall be undertaken by suitably qualified and competent personnel with prior experience providing similar roles on multi-disciplinary rail projects. System Safety Assurance Qualifications or equivalent required.

The AsBo, ApBo, and DeBo shall support TfW in delivering the safety assessments and authorisation tasks to enable Entry into Service (EiS) and Authorisation for Placing into Service (APiS).

The required safety assessment and authorisation tasks are specified in TfW’s System Safety and Authorisation Strategy (document ref: TfW-ENG-PRO-ID00299).

The system safety and authorisation approach to be followed throughout the project lifecycle is specified in the Cardiff Central Enhancements Programme System Safety and Authorisation Plan (document ref: W001147-TFW-00-REP-ESS-000003).

The Tenderers will need to provide evidence on the following accreditation standards:

− Accreditation Standards UKAS ISO/IEC 17020 (AsBo: Product Conformity Certification)

− Accreditation Standards UKAS ISO/IEC 17065 (ApBo/DeBo: Inspection Body)

− Accreditation Standards ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems)

The Tenderers will need to:

− Work collaboratively with TfW to ensure a progressive assurance approach for all documents outlined in Volume 2

− Key dates

− Key milestones

− Working remotely as well as in person at the Pontypridd office or the Cardiff Central office (St. Patrick’s House) ad-hoc