Ballast Cars

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Rail Division is procuring twenty (20) open top ballast cars for Plymouth County. The ballast cars must have a minimum 2000 cubic foot ballast capacity, 4 ballast discharge outlets, and a braking system as required by MassDOT. The detailed Request for Response (RFR) document outlines the technical specifications for the ballast cars, including requirements for the discharge outlets, trucks and wheels, brake systems, couplers and draft gear, and painting. The scope of work includes equipment procurement, manuals and training, pre-delivery testing and inspection, post-delivery inspection and testing, and regulatory compliance. Bidders must submit their proposals by November 13, 2014, and MassDOT plans to award the contract by November 25, 2014. The contract will be for a one-year period.

The RFR includes pricing limitations, indicating that no other state or public entity customer within the United States of similar size and with similar terms and conditions shall receive a lower price for the same commodity and service during the contract period. Bidders are also required to offer discounts through participation in the Commonwealth's Prompt Payment Discount (PPD) initiative. The RFR also includes a Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) requirement, where Minority and Women Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) are encouraged to submit responses, and the SDP Plan will be evaluated as part of the overall proposal. There are no incumbent contractors identified, and the contract is subject to funding availability from the state.