Notice of Intent to Award a Non-Competitive Negotiated Contract for the Purchase of Four (4) Hi-Rail Wheels and Associated Hardware for Use on a John Deere 180CW Hi-Rail Excavator

Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) is issuing a Notice of Intent to award a non-competitive negotiated purchase order to Rail Construction Equipment Co. for four hi-rail wheels and associated hardware for a John Deere 180CW hi-rail excavator, with responses due by October 1, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific. SMART asserts that Rail Construction Equipment Co. is the sole authorized provider of these components. This is a sole-source procurement vehicle subject to challenge — SMART explicitly invites any vendor or supplier who believes it can legally supply the parts to submit a response by the deadline to potentially trigger a competitive procurement instead.

The scope is replacement wheels and associated hardware components for hi-rail equipment upfitted on the John Deere 180C Excavator. SMART owns and operates passenger and freight rail service in Sonoma County and Marin County, California.

No estimated contract value, contract term, or pricing is disclosed in the Notice of Intent. The purchase structure is a negotiated order, not a competitive bid or proposal solicitation. Responses submitted will not be evaluated as bids, quotes, or proposals but solely to determine whether sufficient alternative sources exist to justify opening the procurement to competition.

This procurement carries the dual risk and opportunity typical of sole-source notices: SMART's initial intent to avoid competition can be overridden if credible alternative suppliers demonstrate capability and authorization within the response window.