IFB LR271001 - Concrete Ties & Rail Material

The Maryland Transit Administration is soliciting bids under IFB LR271001 for concrete cross ties with rail fastenings and rail welding kits, with questions due November 3, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. local time and bids due November 17, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. This is a small business reserve procurement, so only businesses certified through the Department of Social and Economic Mobility's Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs Small Business Reserve Program are eligible for award. No MBE, DBE, or VSBE subcontracting goals apply.

The scope covers 1,000 prestressed concrete cross ties with rail fastenings, of which 900 are standard ties and 100 are restraining rail ties, plus 60 Orgo-Thermit rail welding kits. Ties must conform to specified dimensional, weight, and strength requirements, with design based on AREMA and ACI standards. The contractor must submit shop drawings, structural calculations, a concrete mix design, and a quality assurance/quality control plan within 15 calendar days of the Notice to Proceed, and must perform production testing with results submitted to the Administration within five days of completion. Materials must be delivered to the MTA Cromwell Light Rail Maintenance Facility in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with at least 30 days' advance notice, within 240 calendar days of the Notice to Proceed. The contract is a single-award, firm fixed-price, one-time purchase with no federal funding.

Insurance requirements are substantial: Commercial General Liability of $5,000,000 per occurrence, Automobile Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, and Railroad Protective Liability of $2,000,000 per occurrence with $6,000,000 aggregate, with the MTA named as additional insured. Bids are evaluated solely on total price, and the award goes to the responsible and responsive bidder with the lowest bid. Prices must be fully loaded and fixed for 12 months, and lead times must be stated as in-stock or in days, weeks, or months.

No pre-bid conference or site visit is scheduled. The public bid opening is November 18, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. via Microsoft Teams. Submissions must be made through eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA).