Upper Articulation Parts for METRO’s Light Rail Vehicles

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) has issued an Invitation for Bids (IFB No. 1605714326) for the procurement and delivery of upper articulation parts for METRO's light rail vehicles. This brand name procurement seeks five specific line items of articulation components: upper pitching joints, upper articulation assemblies, sliding ledges, anti-lifting devices, and lower articulation assemblies, with estimated annual quantities ranging from 16 to 34 units across all items. All components must be sourced from approved manufacturers including Siemens, Hubner, and CAF USA, with manufacturer part numbers and two-week lead times specified for each item. Bidders must submit pricing on a unit basis for each line item with extended totals for Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, and a combined three-year total, as the contract term spans three years from the effective date or until the not-to-exceed amount is expended. Electronic bids must be submitted through METRO's EUNA (Bonfire) platform by 2:00 p.m. Central Standard Time on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, with one hardcopy submission to the Procurement Division at 1900 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77002. The public bid opening will occur on Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. CST with live viewing available via Microsoft Teams. Award will be made to the responsive and responsible bidder with the lowest total bid amount, with routine delivery required within thirty calendar days of receiving a release order to the ROC Facility at 1601 W Bellfort Avenue, Houston, Texas 77054 between 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

This procurement carries no small business participation goals, though METRO encourages small business participation regardless of any set-aside restrictions. The contract is 100% METRO-funded with firm fixed pricing subject to adjustment only through published price lists with thirty days' notice or the Producer Price Index for multiyear contracts where no published price list exists. Bidders must specify a restocking fee percentage for returns made after the initial fourteen-day period, with failure to specify resulting in a zero percent fee that may be used as a tiebreaker in bid evaluation. METRO is exempt from federal excise, transportation, and Texas sales and use taxes, and no such taxes shall be included in invoices. All materials must be new and unused, properly packaged to prevent damage, and accompanied by packing lists identifying delivery order numbers, part numbers, and quantities. Payment will be made within thirty calendar days of invoice receipt or acceptance of materials, whichever is later. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement documents, though bidders must source components exclusively from the specified approved manufacturers and meet all delivery requirements to be considered responsive.