Blue Line Track Reprofile and Alignment Services

The City of Charlotte, North Carolina, issued Request for Proposals #269-2026-2001 on March 5, 2026, for Blue Line Track Reprofile and Alignment Services to provide comprehensive rail grinding services for the Charlotte Area Transit System's light rail network. The procurement encompasses corrective and preventive grinding, corrugation removal, profile restoration to specified templates, surface conditioning for friction management, and grinding of switches and special trackwork on both tangent and curved track segments. The selected contractor must provide all labor, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, planning, and documentation necessary to restore rail profile, remove surface defects, improve wheel-rail interface performance, extend rail life, and reduce noise and vibration across the Authority's rail network. Deliverables include a detailed pre-work grinding plan, equipment specifications, safety documentation, and post-grinding submittals within ten business days containing profile measurements, metal removal reports, corrugation reduction analysis, GPS-based work records, and comprehensive work logs. The contractor must utilize a rail grinding machine equipped with a minimum of 16 grinding stones, on-board dust collection and spark/fire suppression systems, and data logging capabilities, while achieving surface roughness between 0.5 to 2.0 microns and restoring rail profiles to designated templates. A non-mandatory pre-proposal conference is scheduled for March 16, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. EST via virtual meeting link, and all proposals must be submitted electronically through the Bonfire e-Procurement Portal no later than March 27, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. EST. Bidders must submit the Request for Proposals Acknowledgement form by March 11, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. if planning to attend the pre-proposal conference, and provide a minimum of three client references demonstrating experience with comparable rail grinding and track reprofile services.

The City of Charlotte is currently prohibited from assigning a separate Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal under the Interim Final Rule effective October 3, 2025; however, DBE firms and small businesses shall have equal opportunity to participate through race-neutral means. Bidders must submit a List of Subcontractors (Form A) disclosing all DBE-certified and non-DBE vendors, with DBE supplier utilization counting 60 percent toward any applicable goal, and all DBE subcontractors and suppliers must be certified through the NCDOT vendor directory. The contract is anticipated to have an initial term of five years with two optional one-year renewal periods, with pricing calculated on a per-shift basis for rail grinding work performed, plus hourly rates for ancillary equipment and per-event fees for mobilization and demobilization. All pricing must be all-inclusive and submitted via the Pricing Worksheet with separate line items for work shifts, ancillary equipment, and mobilization/demobilization costs. Bidders must comply with federal transit administration requirements, civil rights protections, debarment certifications, anti-lobbying provisions, record retention for three years, clean air and water act compliance, motor vehicle safety standards, Charlotte City Code non-discrimination policies, and E-Verify requirements under North Carolina law, as this project is partially financed by the Federal Transit Administration. Contract award by City Council is targeted following the evaluation period of March 27 through April 10, 2026.