Parametric Railway Line Capacity Modeling
Closed Solicitation Posted
- Solicitation number
- 693JJ626Q000005
- Agency
- Federal Railroad Administration Department of Transportation
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 541330 Engineering Services
- PSC
- AS12 Transportation R&D Services; Surface Transportation, Public Transit, And Rail; Applied Research
- Place of performance
- Washington, District of Columbia 20590, United States
- Points of contact
-
- Matthew Carr matthew.carr@dot.gov (202) 738-8619
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is procuring the development of a Parametric Railway Line Capacity Model (PRLCM) through solicitation number 693JJ626Q000005, a firm-fixed-price contract available to all responsible sources under full and open competition. The contractor will design, estimate, test, validate, and deliver model code and documentation to create a publicly available parametric model for railroad capacity analysis that updates the outdated 1975 FRA model and serves the North American railroad industry. Key requirements include developing the model in R or Python with comprehensive documentation, establishing methodological guidelines, validating the model using real-world operations data, creating detailed user guides and technical documentation, and managing all data in secure Government-approved environments compliant with FRA cybersecurity standards. Evaluation will occur in two phases, with Phase I (due March 10, 2026) assessing prior corporate experience and past performance as the most important factor, Phase II (technical submission due March 23, 2026, with oral presentations March 26, 2026) evaluating the Performance Work Statement and oral presentation capability, and price as the third evaluation factor. Questions regarding the solicitation were due February 23, 2026, with provisional down-select notification scheduled for March 16, 2026, and award anticipated in April 2026.
This solicitation carries no small business set-aside, though non-small business prime contractors must submit subcontracting plans with specified goals for small business participation. No incumbent contractor or award value is specified in the solicitation documents; however, the contract includes an 18-month base period with options to extend services up to an additional six months, with travel costs reimbursable on a cost-reimbursable basis up to $10,000. Contractors must submit pricing in unlocked Microsoft Excel spreadsheets with detailed labor category breakdowns by Contract Line Item Number, and the Performance Work Statement narrative is limited to twenty pages. Place of performance is Washington, DC 20590, with all development, testing, and delivery activities to occur in FRA-provided Azure or AWS tenants or DOT-authorized environments; contractors are prohibited from using contractor-hosted or third-party cloud services. The Government retains unlimited rights to all deliverable code and will host the model on the FRA GitHub repository under an open-source license, with contractors required to identify any pre-existing proprietary tools or background intellectual property for which the Government requires non-exclusive, royalty-free licensing rights.
Notice text
3 versions
Update #3 · Latest ·
Amendment 2 is issued to complete the responses to contractors and correct the reference to Attachment J-4 on page 27 of the solicitation. The reference should have been to Attachment J-5.
************************************************************************************************************************************************
Amendment 1 is issued to modify the solicitation in accordance with the attached documents. Please note that the submission date for the Performance Work Statement, i.e., Volume III, has been changed to March 23, 2026. Please contact me if there are any questions.
*************************************************************************************************************************************************
This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products or commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a separate written solicitation will not be issued.
The solicitation number is 693JJ626Q000005 and being issued as full and open competition. This notice and the incorporated provisions and clauses are those in affect through the Federal Acquisition Circular FAC 2025-06. Clauses and Provisions are available in full text at www.acquisition.gov. All responsible sources may submit a quote.
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code:
541330, Engineering Services, Small business size standard $25,500,000
Eligible business size: All
Competition: Full and Open Competition
Product and Service Code (PSC): AS12,
Transportation and R&D services: Surface Transportation, Public Transit, and Rail
FAR Provisions/Clauses: 52.212-1, 52.212-2, and 52.212-4 apply to this procurement. For full text and wording visit www.acquisition.gov.
The Government contemplates an award of a single Firm Fixed Price (FFP) purchase order/contract resulting from this solicitation.
Contract Line Item (CLIN):
To be developed by awardee in their response to the Statement of Objectives (SOO) See Attachment 1 Statement of Objectives.
Objective:
This effort will result in a railroad parametric capacity model that will be validated based on “real world” operations data.
Description of Requirement:
Description:
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) anticipates awarding a Firm Fixed Price type contract for the development of a new Parametric Railway Line Capacity Model (PRLCM). FRA believes that a new parametric capacity model would have the potential to serve as an important adjunct to existing railroad operations simulation tools and could find application in high-level operations analysis that is performed as part of early project feasibility studies, regional intercity passenger rail planning, and as an aid in developing hypotheses for operating and infrastructure changes for subsequent evaluation using operations simulation.
This effort will result in a validated, reproducible Railroad Parametric Capacity Model (RPCM), associated documentation, and code that the Government can independently develop. (The full description is to be found on pages 1-2 of Attachment J.1 Statement of Objective (SOO).).
Place of delivery and FOB point
Federal Railroad Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE,
Washington. DC 20590
Clauses and Provisions
52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors—Commercial, applies to this acquisition.
52.212-2 Evaluation—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2021) applies to this procurement.
52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Items, applies to this procurement.
In accordance with FAR 12.302, the FAR Clause at 52.212-1 is tailored to include Addendum 1 (Attachment J.7).
The complete list of clauses is provided in the attached solicitation.
The quotation acceptance period is 120 days after the date set for receipt of quotations. The Government anticipates issuing one contract with a base of eighteen months. This solicitation will result in the award of a firm fixed priced contract.
Additional contract terms and conditions are found in the in the attached solicitation.
There is no Defense Priority and Allocation System (DPAS) rating assigned to this procurement.
Interested parties capable of providing the specified services shall prepare their quotation in accordance with the attached solicitation and submit to Matthew Carr, at matthew.carr@dot.gov. This procurement is unrestricted. Award will be made on a best value basis.
Vendors are encouraged to direct any questions by e-mail to matthew.carr@dot.gov.
No telephone inquiries will be accepted. Questions regarding this synopsis/solicitation shall be submitted to the email address above no later than 12:30 pm, February 23, 2026. Any questions received after this time/date may or may not be answered due to time constraints of this combined synopsis/solicitation.
Phase I submittals are due by 12:30 pm EST on March 10, 2026. Phase II submittals are due by 12:30 pm EST on March 20, 2026. All submittals should be sent via email to Matthew Carr at the address above. Partial quotations will not be accepted for this requirement.
Update #2 ·
Amendment 1 is issued to modify the solicitation in accordance with the attached documents. Please note that the submission date for the Performance Work Statement, i.e., Volume III, has been changed to March 23, 2026. Please contact me if there are any questions.
*************************************************************************************************************************************************
This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products or commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a separate written solicitation will not be issued.
The solicitation number is 693JJ626Q000005 and being issued as full and open competition. This notice and the incorporated provisions and clauses are those in affect through the Federal Acquisition Circular FAC 2025-06. Clauses and Provisions are available in full text at www.acquisition.gov. All responsible sources may submit a quote.
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code:
541330, Engineering Services, Small business size standard $25,500,000
Eligible business size: All
Competition: Full and Open Competition
Product and Service Code (PSC): AS12,
Transportation and R&D services: Surface Transportation, Public Transit, and Rail
FAR Provisions/Clauses: 52.212-1, 52.212-2, and 52.212-4 apply to this procurement. For full text and wording visit www.acquisition.gov.
The Government contemplates an award of a single Firm Fixed Price (FFP) purchase order/contract resulting from this solicitation.
Contract Line Item (CLIN):
To be developed by awardee in their response to the Statement of Objectives (SOO) See Attachment 1 Statement of Objectives.
Objective:
This effort will result in a railroad parametric capacity model that will be validated based on “real world” operations data.
Description of Requirement:
Description:
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) anticipates awarding a Firm Fixed Price type contract for the development of a new Parametric Railway Line Capacity Model (PRLCM). FRA believes that a new parametric capacity model would have the potential to serve as an important adjunct to existing railroad operations simulation tools and could find application in high-level operations analysis that is performed as part of early project feasibility studies, regional intercity passenger rail planning, and as an aid in developing hypotheses for operating and infrastructure changes for subsequent evaluation using operations simulation.
This effort will result in a validated, reproducible Railroad Parametric Capacity Model (RPCM), associated documentation, and code that the Government can independently develop. (The full description is to be found on pages 1-2 of Attachment J.1 Statement of Objective (SOO).).
Place of delivery and FOB point
Federal Railroad Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE,
Washington. DC 20590
Clauses and Provisions
52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors—Commercial, applies to this acquisition.
52.212-2 Evaluation—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2021) applies to this procurement.
52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Items, applies to this procurement.
In accordance with FAR 12.302, the FAR Clause at 52.212-1 is tailored to include Addendum 1 (Attachment J.7).
The complete list of clauses is provided in the attached solicitation.
The quotation acceptance period is 120 days after the date set for receipt of quotations. The Government anticipates issuing one contract with a base of eighteen months. This solicitation will result in the award of a firm fixed priced contract.
Additional contract terms and conditions are found in the in the attached solicitation.
There is no Defense Priority and Allocation System (DPAS) rating assigned to this procurement.
Interested parties capable of providing the specified services shall prepare their quotation in accordance with the attached solicitation and submit to Matthew Carr, at matthew.carr@dot.gov. This procurement is unrestricted. Award will be made on a best value basis.
Vendors are encouraged to direct any questions by e-mail to matthew.carr@dot.gov.
No telephone inquiries will be accepted. Questions regarding this synopsis/solicitation shall be submitted to the email address above no later than 12:30 pm, February 23, 2026. Any questions received after this time/date may or may not be answered due to time constraints of this combined synopsis/solicitation.
Phase I submittals are due by 12:30 pm EST on March 10, 2026. Phase II submittals are due by 12:30 pm EST on March 20, 2026. All submittals should be sent via email to Matthew Carr at the address above. Partial quotations will not be accepted for this requirement.
Update #1 ·
This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products or commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a separate written solicitation will not be issued.
The solicitation number is 693JJ626Q000005 and being issued as full and open competition. This notice and the incorporated provisions and clauses are those in affect through the Federal Acquisition Circular FAC 2025-06. Clauses and Provisions are available in full text at www.acquisition.gov. All responsible sources may submit a quote.
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code:
541330, Engineering Services, Small business size standard $25,500,000
Eligible business size: All
Competition: Full and Open Competition
Product and Service Code (PSC): AS12,
Transportation and R&D services: Surface Transportation, Public Transit, and Rail
FAR Provisions/Clauses: 52.212-1, 52.212-2, and 52.212-4 apply to this procurement. For full text and wording visit www.acquisition.gov.
The Government contemplates an award of a single Firm Fixed Price (FFP) purchase order/contract resulting from this solicitation.
Contract Line Item (CLIN):
To be developed by awardee in their response to the Statement of Objectives (SOO) See Attachment 1 Statement of Objectives.
Objective:
This effort will result in a railroad parametric capacity model that will be validated based on “real world” operations data.
Description of Requirement:
Description:
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) anticipates awarding a Firm Fixed Price type contract for the development of a new Parametric Railway Line Capacity Model (PRLCM). FRA believes that a new parametric capacity model would have the potential to serve as an important adjunct to existing railroad operations simulation tools and could find application in high-level operations analysis that is performed as part of early project feasibility studies, regional intercity passenger rail planning, and as an aid in developing hypotheses for operating and infrastructure changes for subsequent evaluation using operations simulation.
This effort will result in a validated, reproducible Railroad Parametric Capacity Model (RPCM), associated documentation, and code that the Government can independently develop. (The full description is to be found on pages 1-2 of Attachment J.1 Statement of Objective (SOO).).
Place of delivery and FOB point
Federal Railroad Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE,
Washington. DC 20590
Clauses and Provisions
52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors—Commercial, applies to this acquisition.
52.212-2 Evaluation—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2021) applies to this procurement.
52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Items, applies to this procurement.
In accordance with FAR 12.302, the FAR Clause at 52.212-1 is tailored to include Addendum 1 (Attachment J.7).
The complete list of clauses is provided in the attached solicitation.
The quotation acceptance period is 120 days after the date set for receipt of quotations. The Government anticipates issuing one contract with a base of eighteen months. This solicitation will result in the award of a firm fixed priced contract.
Additional contract terms and conditions are found in the in the attached solicitation.
There is no Defense Priority and Allocation System (DPAS) rating assigned to this procurement.
Interested parties capable of providing the specified services shall prepare their quotation in accordance with the attached solicitation and submit to Matthew Carr, at matthew.carr@dot.gov. This procurement is unrestricted. Award will be made on a best value basis.
Vendors are encouraged to direct any questions by e-mail to matthew.carr@dot.gov.
No telephone inquiries will be accepted. Questions regarding this synopsis/solicitation shall be submitted to the email address above no later than 12:30 pm, February 23, 2026. Any questions received after this time/date may or may not be answered due to time constraints of this combined synopsis/solicitation.
Phase I submittals are due by 12:30 pm EST on March 10, 2026. Phase II submittals are due by 12:30 pm EST on March 20, 2026. All submittals should be sent via email to Matthew Carr at the address above. Partial quotations will not be accepted for this requirement.
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