CLIN 00400 TORFP - Locomotive Safety Inspections.pdf

TASK ORDER REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (TORFP)

VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER

TORFP NO: 6913G626R200002-TO-0004

UNDER MASTER IDIQ CONTRACT: 6913G626D[TBD]

Issue Date: July 16, 2026

Proposal Due Date: July 31, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET

CLIN Reference: CLIN 00400 – Locomotive Safety Inspections

Type of Order: Hybrid (Firm-Fixed-Price Core Services & Cost-Reimbursable Travel)

Period of Performance: One Year (365 Days) from Date of Task Order Award

Proposal Validity: Proposals must remain valid for a minimum of 120 days from the proposal due date.

Associated Document: Attachment 1 – Statement of Work (SOW) – Locomotive Safety Inspections

1. General Information & Scope

The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, on behalf of the U.S. Army, is competing an initial Task Order for the performance of a year’s worth of federally mandated Annual and Periodic 184-day locomotive safety inspections per 49 CFR across various locomotive models detailed in the SOW fleet inventory. The task order scope consists of:

• Annual inspections and brake services for forty-six (46) conventional locomotives across thirteen (13) different locations, including performing 3-year air brake service on thirteen

(13) designated conventional locomotives.

• Annual inspections and annual brake services for seventeen (17) GenSet locomotives across seven (7) locations.

• Periodic 184-day safety inspections for twenty-five (25) GenSet locomotives across nine

(9) locations.

This requirement is issued under the Fair Opportunity procedures of FAR 16.505 and is competed among Prime Contract holders under the Rail Rolling Stock Modernization & Sustainment (RMS) IDIQ pool who participated in the Phase I advisory down-select process.

2. Task Order CLIN Pricing Structure

This is a hybrid-type Task Order. Core safety inspections and associated brake service CLINs (00401A, 00401B, and 00402) are Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP). Travel-associated costs (CLIN 00405) shall be proposed on a Cost-Reimbursable, Not-to-Exceed (NTE) basis. Offerors shall provide pricing in accordance with the Task Order CLIN Pricing Schedule located in Section 8 at the end of this document.

2.1 Period of Performance

The Period of Performance for this Task Order shall be one-year (365 days) from the date of task order award, in strict accordance with the timeline specified in Attachment 1 (SOW). All safety inspections, brake services, diagnostic downloads, and required FRA paperwork must be completed and accepted within this period.

3. Proposal Submission & Preparation Instructions

Offerors must submit their Task Order proposals concurrently with their Phase II Master IDIQ submissions no later than July 31, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET via email to the Contracting Officer.

3.1 Full Program Performance Required (No Partial Quantities)

• Offerors must propose on all eighty-eight (88) safety inspections across all seventeen (17) military installations.

• Partial proposals are strictly unauthorized. The contractor must be capable of performing all required inspections on all locomotives identified in the Statement of Work within the specified timeframe.

• Brakes and safety inspection services must be proposed as a complete program to ensure administrative and operational consistency across the Army's fleet.

3.2 Volume II: Phase II Technical Proposal (Task Order Integration)

In accordance with Section L.3 of the parent IDIQ RFP, the proposal must be structured around the master evaluation factors and is subject to the strict CLIN-specific page budgets and evaluation ceilings defined in Section L.3 of the parent solicitation. In accordance with the parent IDIQ structure, all Phase II technical evaluation factors (Factors 1 through 4) must be compiled and submitted under Volume II. For this specific Task Order requirement, offerors must address the following criteria within their respective Phase II volumes:

• Factor 1: Technical Approach o Regulatory Inspection Methodology: Describe the technical approach to performing federally mandated annual and periodic 184-day locomotive safety inspections in strict compliance with 49 CFR Part 229 safety standards.

o Air Brake Services: Detail the process and tooling to perform mandatory annual air brake services, as well as the specialized 3-year air brake services due on the thirteen (13) conventional locomotives specified in SOW Table 3.

o Battery-Electric Diagnostics: Describe the technical approach to inspecting battery-electric locomotive USAX 4652 at Fort Hood. In alignment with Attachment 1

(SOW), as the FRA has not yet defined formal inspection criteria for this rolling stock configuration, the approach must detail methods for executing the manufacturer's recommendations for above-frame systems alongside standard regulatory criteria for below-frame (deck) components only.

o GenSet & N-Force Control System Diagnostics: Demonstrate expert knowledge of NRE N-ViroMotive GenSet locomotives and the capability to perform diagnostic data downloads, software/firmware updates, and troubleshooting utilizing the N- Force operating/control system.

• Factor 2: Key Personnel o Qualified Mechanical Inspectors (QMI/QMP): Provide resumes (max 2 pages) for all key personnel executing safety inspections. In accordance with SOW requirements, each designated inspector must meet the minimum requirements and hold the title of Qualified Mechanical Inspector (QMI) or Qualified Maintenance Person (QMP) per 49 CFR.

o Credentials & Sign-Off Authority: Resumes must verify at least five (5) years of appropriate level experience and training per 49 CFR, as well as the legal authority to sign locomotive cab cards (Form FRA F6180-49A).

• Factor 3: Management Approach o Logistical Scheduling & Base Access: Provide a comprehensive master schedule demonstrating the capability to execute all 88 inspections across the 17 distinct U.S.

Army installations. The schedule and narrative must explicitly detail the contractor’s mobilization and deployment strategy to meet the high-priority, 21-day "ASAP" inspection windows specified in SOW Tables 2 and 3 for the fifteen

(15) designated locomotives at Fort Carson, Fort Hood, Fort Riley, Red River Army Plant, and Sierra Army Depot. Additionally, scheduling must ensure other inspections occur no earlier than forty-five (45) days prior to the current inspection expiration dates.

o On-Site Coordination & Base Passes: Detail procedures to coordinate with base transportation offices and clear security badging background checks (NCIC/REAL ID Act compliance) for all field technicians without delaying scheduled inspections.

o Deliverables & PM Worksheets: Detail the workflow for completing and submitting signed cab cards and digital PM worksheets (identifying checklists with inspector initials and repair descriptions) to the Volpe COR following the completion of each inspection and following work completion at each location, respectively, in strict accordance with the prompt reporting requirements of the

SOW.

o Prime Contractor Participation: Address compliance with the 50% small business performance requirements (if applicable under FAR 52.219-14) or general IDIQ pass-through controls.

3.3 Volume III: Price Proposal (No Page Limit)

The Price Volume must include the completed pricing table in Section 8, along with a comprehensive basis of estimate (BOE) breaking down the required elements. In accordance with

Section L.3 of the parent IDIQ, this pricing volume shall be designated as Volume III. The BOE must break down:

• Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) Core Services: Fixed unit pricing for conventional annual inspections (CLIN 00401A), GenSet annual inspections (CLIN 00401B), and GenSet 184-day inspections (CLIN 00402), which must include all labor and materials required for regulatory compliance and brake services.

• Cost-Reimbursable Travel (CLIN 00405): A proposed travel budget submitted on a Cost- Reimbursable, Not-to-Exceed (NTE) basis. This estimate must strictly align with the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) per-diem rates.

4. Basis of Task Order Award & Evaluation (FAR 16.505)

The Government intends to award a single hybrid task order to the responsible offeror whose proposal represents the Best Value to the Government, technical factors and price considered.

The technical evaluation of this Task Order will be executed concurrently with the Master IDIQ selection process. Proposals will be evaluated using the master adjectival rating system defined in Section M.2.1 of the IDIQ RFP (Outstanding, Good, Acceptable, Marginal, Unacceptable) based on the following factors:

• Factor 1: Technical Approach. Evaluated for the technical feasibility, regulatory compliance, and completeness of the inspection and brake service methods, alongside demonstrated technical expertise in manufacturer's above-frame recommendations and standard below-frame inspection methods for the battery-electric locomotive, and N-Force GenSet diagnostics.

• Factor 2: Key Personnel. Evaluated to determine the competence and qualifications of the proposed field technicians, ensuring that all personnel designated to perform inspections are certified QMIs/QMPs with at least 5 years of experience and documented sign-off authority, in strict accordance with 49 CFR and SOW requirements.

• Factor 3: Management Approach. Evaluated for the credibility and realism of the scheduling logistics across the 17 installations (specifically including the mobilization plan to meet the mandatory 21-day "ASAP" inspection windows), the robustness of the installation access security plan, the quality of reporting workflows supporting prompt SOW deliverable submissions, and the extent of meaningful prime contractor performance.

• Factor 4: Past Performance. Evaluated strictly at the Master IDIQ level as part of the concurrent Phase II check. Successful award of a parent Master IDIQ contract satisfies the past performance requirements for this Task Order; therefore, past performance will not be separately scored or traded off under this TORFP.

• Factor 5: Price. Evaluated for completeness, balance, and reasonableness based on the FFP core inspection totals and a cost realism review of the proposed Travel NTE budget.

Relative Importance of Factors: In strict alignment with Section M of the Master IDIQ RFP, Factor 1 is more important than Factor 2; Factor 2 is more important than Factor 3; Factor 3 is more important than Factor 4. When all non-price factors (Factors 1 through 4) are combined, they are significantly more important than Factor 5 (Price).

5. Task Order Contract Administration & Rules

5.1 Contract Administration Contacts

• Task Order Contracting Officer (TOCO): Patricia Barnett | patricia.barnett@dot.gov

• Task Order Contracting Officer's Representative (TOCOR): John Wojtowicz | john.wojtowicz@dot.gov

5.2 Technical Direction Boundaries

Performance of the work hereunder shall be under the technical direction of the TOCOR through the TOCO, in writing. As used herein, "technical direction" is limited to directions to the Contractor that provide additional detail regarding the previously defined scope within the task order. This direction may not include new assignments of work, or cause an increase or decrease in the estimated cost/price of the task order, or otherwise affect any other provision of the master contract. At no time may the Contractor begin work without an awarded task order or perform work outside of the scope of an awarded task order.

5.3 Non-Personal Services

No personal services as defined in Part 37 of the FAR shall be performed under this task order. No contractor employee will be directly supervised by the Government. All individual employee assignments and daily work direction shall be given by the contractor's supervisor. The contractor shall not perform any inherently governmental functions under this task order. In all communications with third parties or other Government contractors, contractor employees shall prominently identify themselves as such.

6. Task Order Specific Clauses & Security

6.1 Local Installation Security & Base Access Requirements

Contractor personnel performing field inspections and diagnostic services are required to clear security background checks and obtain base access credentials at all seventeen (17) U.S. Army installations listed in Table 4 of Attachment 1 (SOW).

The Contractor shall ensure that all delivery vehicles, field technicians, and supervisors possess valid state-issued identification compliant with the Federal REAL ID Act, pass local National Crime Information Center (NCIC) background screenings, and coordinate directly with local installation transportation offices for escorts where required. Delays in performing inspections or obtaining FRA safety sign-offs caused by the Contractor’s failure to clear personnel through base security gates shall not constitute an excusable delay under the contract.

7. Parent IDIQ Contract Incorporation

This Task Order is issued under and subject to all terms, conditions, provisions, and clauses of the parent Rail Rolling Stock Modernization & Sustainment (RMS) Master IDIQ contract. In accordance with FAR 52.216-18(b), in the event of any conflict between this Task Order and the Master IDIQ contract, the Master IDIQ contract shall control.

8. Task Order CLIN Pricing Schedule

Offerors shall complete and submit the following pricing schedule as part of their Volume III – Price Proposal.

CLIN Description Type Qty Unit Price Total Price

00401A

Conventional Locomotive Annual Inspections & Brake Service

Perform annual inspections per 49 CFR, including annual brake service on forty-six (46) conventional locomotives and 3-year air brake service on thirteen (13) designated units across 13 installations as detailed in SOW Table 3.

FFP 46

00401B

GenSet Locomotive Annual Inspections & Brake Service

Perform annual inspections per 49 CFR and annual brake services on seventeen

(17) GenSet locomotives across 7 installations as detailed in SOW Table 2.

FFP 17

00402

GenSet Locomotive Periodic 184-Day Inspections

Perform periodic 184-day inspections per 49 CFR on twenty-five (25) GenSet locomotives across 9 installations as detailed in SOW Table 2.

FFP 25

00405

Travel Associated Costs

Estimated travel costs to complete all safety inspections across the 17 military installations detailed in SOW Table 4.

Reimbursed at actual cost up to the NTE cap.

NTE — —

CLIN Description Type Qty Unit Price Total Price

Total TOTAL PROPOSED PRICE (FFP +

TRAVEL NTE)

Period of Performance: One-year (365 days) from the date of task order award.

End of TORFP Document