Midwest Fleet Management Support - RFP

The Illinois Department of Transportation, on behalf of a four-state Midwest consortium (Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin), is requesting proposals for fleet management services to oversee and coordinate the High-Speed Rail program across eight routes, with proposals due June 2, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. CST. Vendors must demonstrate commitment to diversity in accordance with Illinois Procurement Code requirements, weighted at 20 percent of technical points; however, there is a 0% Business Enterprise Program goal for this procurement.

The scope encompasses fleet management for at least 33 Siemens diesel-electric locomotives, up to 94 single-level railcars, and up to 3 cab cars across the Hiawatha Service (Chicago-Milwaukee), Quincy Service (Chicago-Quincy), Lincoln Service (Chicago-St. Louis), Carbondale Service (Chicago-Carbondale), Wolverine Service (Chicago-Detroit-Pontiac), Blue Water Service (Chicago-Port Huron), Pere Marquette Service (Chicago-Grand Rapids), and Missouri River Runner (St. Louis-Kansas City). The vendor will coordinate with the Maintenance Contractor, Federal Rail Administration, Service Operator, and Midwest States Oversight Body. Task 1 (Plan for Fleet Management Implementation) must be completed within four months of contract execution.

The initial contract term is five years from execution with an option to renew for an additional five-year term, not to exceed ten years total. Compensation is structured as estimated annual hours with fully-loaded hourly rates inclusive of salary, benefits, insurance, overhead, travel, and equipment expenses, totaling 5,850 annual hours across all labor categories. Travel costs to facilities outside Chicago must be incorporated into proposed hourly rates. A $15 fee applies to cover administration of the Minority Contractor Opportunity Initiative, to be deducted from the first payment.

Proposals are evaluated on technical requirements (750 points), commitment to diversity (150 points), and pricing (200 points), with 1,100 total points available. Vendors must achieve a minimum of 650 combined points in technical and diversity categories to proceed to price evaluation. Funding is provided through annual appropriations adjusted 18 months prior to contract start. No performance bond is required. Pricing must be submitted as a separate locked attachment in BidBuy. Vendors not registered in the Illinois Procurement Gateway must submit a Vendor Disclosure form.