Retail Pop Up

To support continuous improvement in short-term “pop-up” lettings across the railway estate, Network Rail has established an agile short-term letting model that enables units to be occupied quickly while maintaining safety standards and protecting the integrity of the station tenant mix.

To date, Group Commercial Property has successfully delivered over 130 individual pop-up lettings, either directly or through third-party market agents, generating revenue, mitigating rates liabilities and supporting customer satisfaction. Current vacant levels are 2.9% supported by these pop-up activations.

The current arrangement operates under a single agreement, providing a more consistent and coordinated service across Network Rail-owned property. It enables the market agent to manage specified units, including promotional listings, booking, pricing, rent collection, credit and employee checks, legal documentation, site surveys, viewings, operational protocols, inductions, RAMS processes and day-to-day operational management. These services are delivered within Network Rail’s estate under a defined commercial and contractual framework.

As the current arrangement nears its end, Network Rail is preparing for a future procurement exercise to establish the next generation of short-term letting agents across the railway portfolio. The future contract is expected to expand to include vacant space opportunities operated by Train Operating Companies (TOCs), requiring a flexible and scalable delivery model.

The future arrangement will need to support the onboarding of additional locations across the country during the contract term, enabling a broader and more integrated approach to short-term lettings across both Network Rail and TOC environments.

Notes: The purpose of this PME is to:

• Engage with the supply market and understand the level of interest in bidding for this potential future opportunity;
• Allow suppliers who are interested in any potential future tender activity relating to this requirement, to be aware of the procurement platform that will be used, and provide them with the steps to complete qualification to this platform if requested (should they not have already done so);
• Identify suitable suppliers available in the market;
• Identify the capacity and capabilities of the suppliers available in the market;
• Identify any additional services, requirements or concepts that Network Rail have not considered – this information may then be considered to support Network Rail in developing/updating its specification for the tender opportunity;
• Gain feedback on the draft specification and other aspects of the potential strategy for this opportunity.

Procurement Route: Framework