ScotRail - New app / website booking engine from 30 July 2026

[Bungle965]

Tried to add my app booking to my Google Wallet....

 

[Sealink]

Google Play Store reviews have rebounded slightly to 1.3* versus 4.4* for the old app. It also now shows "10k+ downloads" versus "1m+" for the old.

It's now 1.2* and 50k+ downloads.

 

[kkong]

ScotRail have belatedly published the official notice of the contract award to SilverRail.

The total price (including the supply of new TVMs) is £83.7 million.

Interesting to note that the Quality weighting in the procurement was 70% which raises even more questions about the shambolic first publicly visible output of this contract.

Although the contract award date of 29 May 2026 may explain that...

This notices raises two immediate questions from me:

1. Why did it take over two years from the start of procurement (21 May 2024) to finalize this contract. ScotRail must have known that their contract with Trainline was expiring on 31 July 2026 and would not be renewed; yet a new supplier was not contracted until just two months before the deadline.
2. Why was only 1 (one) tender received?

Section V.2.5) seems to confirm that the app development was not outsourced (or, if it was, they didn't tell ScotRail about this).

I can only wonder what awaits us if the (outstourced) contract Options are exercised.

II.1.4) Short description
ScotRail have awarded a contract for a Retail Systems partner to provide a Website, App and Ticket Vending Machines powered by a single centralised Ticket Issuing System as well as a new Ticket Issuing System for On-train Mobile Ticket Sales and Ticket Office Ticket Sales. The contract includes the implementation and on-going support of the website and app, the manufacture and roll-out of new Ticket Vending Machines and the on-going support and maintenance, and the roll-out of new on-train ticket issuing equipment & ticket office equipment and the on-going support and maintenance.

II.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion: Technical & Quality / Weighting: 70
Price / Weighting: 30

II.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options:
FUTURE OPTION: On-Train Mobile TIS (Ticket Issuing System)
FUTURE OPTION: Ticket Office TIS (Ticket Issuing System)

V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1

V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
SilverRail Technologies
27 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden
London
WC2E 7JS

V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
The contract is likely to be subcontracted
Value or proportion likely to be subcontracted to third parties
Proportion: 53 %
Short description of the part of the contract to be subcontracted:
Manufacture, Supply and Maintenance of Ticket Vending Machines
Supply, Software and Support for On-Train Mobile Ticket Sales and Ticket Office Ticket Sales

 

[styles]

ScotRail have belatedly published the official notice of the contract award to SilverRail.

The total price (including the supply of new TVMs) is £83.7 million.

Interesting to note that the Quality weighting in the procurement was 70% which raises even more questions about the shambolic first publicly visible output of this contract.

Although the contract award date of 29 May 2026 may explain that...

This notices raises two immediate questions from me:

1. Why did it take over two years from the start of procurement (21 May 2024) to finalize this contract. ScotRail must have known that their contract with Trainline was expiring on 31 July 2026 and would not be renewed; yet a new supplier was not contracted until just two months before the deadline.
2. Why was only 1 (one) tender received?

Section V.2.5) seems to confirm that the app development was not outsourced (or, if it was, they didn't tell ScotRail about this).

I can only wonder what awaits us if the (outstourced) contract Options are exercised.

£84m is obscene.

I've only worked in rail briefly but I'm pretty sure I could develop a better solution for a fraction of that coat.

Public sector procurement in the UK is honestly a joke.

 

[alistairlees]

£84m is obscene.

I've only worked in rail briefly but I'm pretty sure I could develop a better solution for a fraction of that coat.

Public sector procurement in the UK is honestly a joke.

There's about 350 TVMs in that, which presumably account for the £53m outsourced.

 

[styles]

There's about 350 TVMs in that, which presumably account for the £53m outsourced.

Ah I missed that when I skim read it.

Not that the TVMs are particularly great either mind.

Even if the amount was exclusively for TVMs, that would value each one at £240,000.

 

[Haywain]

Even if the amount was exclusively for TVMs, that would value each one at £240,000.

Bit it's not exclusively for TVMs, so you can't extrapolate the TVM costs from the total figure.

 

[CyrusWuff]

There's about 350 TVMs in that, which presumably account for the £53m outsourced.

The £83.7m is likely to be the total cost over the life of the contract, which is a minimum of 48 months with up to five 12-month extension periods available.

 

[kkong]

Also interesting that the contract award notice describes SilverRail as an SME (Small or Medium-sized Enterprise).

I would not describe a company which tendered for - and won - an £83 million contract an SME.

 

[styles]

Bit it's not exclusively for TVMs, so you can't extrapolate the TVM costs from the total figure.

Even if it were a quarter of the cost, £60k per TVM is wild.

 

[Watershed]

Also interesting that the contract award notice describes SilverRail as an SME (Small or Medium-sized Enterprise).

I would not describe a company which tendered for - and won - an £83 million contract an SME.

The definition of SME is a company with a turnover lower than €50 million, or a balance sheet total below €43 million, which has fewer than 250 employees. Companies House documentation (e.g. the latest annual report) suggests that this is the case for the UK entity that the contract is with.

Whether or not a company is an SME is not dictated by the size of the contracts it wins. When you consider that the £83m contract is spread over 4 years, and 53% is subcontracted, the retained turnover from this contract is in the region of £10m a year. A substantial sum for sure, but not out of keeping with the turnover that an SME could have.

 

[kkong]

The definition of SME is a company with a turnover lower than €50 million, or a balance sheet total below €43 million, which has fewer than 250 employees. Companies House documentation (e.g. the latest annual report) suggests that this is the case for the UK entity that the contract is with.

Whether or not a company is an SME is not dictated by the size of the contracts it wins. When you consider that the £83m contract is spread over 4 years, and 53% is subcontracted, the retained turnover from this contract is in the region of £10m a year. A substantial sum for sure, but not out of keeping with the turnover that an SME could have.

Sub-contracted work still counts as turnover.

So - assuming the 4 years is correct - this will be >£20m per year turnover in addition to what they already do (which won't be insignificant).

Perhaps they were classed as an SME before the ScotRail win, but won't be from then on...

Edit: Your link to the annual report is broken, but I found it anyway. An extract from it (my emphasis):

Going concern

The Company reduced its operating loss from £1.5m in 2024 to £1.1m in 2025. Administrative savings of £1.5m were achieved from the restructuring undertaken in 2024, but these were offset by increased royalty charges (£0.2m), increased consultancy costs (£0.1m), further restructuring costs (£0.3m) and a year-on-year reduction of realised foreign exchange gains of £0.6m. A new customer signed terms in 2025 which will increase the annual revenue from the middle of 2026 onwards, and this contract launched successfully in February 2026. A further significant contract was finalised in early 2026 and went live at the end of July 2026. These two contracts, alongside the Company's existing customers, should enable the Company to return to profitability within two years. The parent company received further investment in 2025 which will enable the Company to meet all of its liabilities for at least the next 12 months.

 

[Wallsendmag]

It's website,app, TVMs, on Train and Ticket Office all in one

There's about 350 TVMs in that, which presumably account for the £53m outsourced.

I have a fairly good idea exactly how much their TVMs may cost

 

[Haywain]

Even if it were a quarter of the cost, £60k per TVM is wild.

They are obviously not as cheap as you think they should be.

 

[styles]

They are obviously not as cheap as you think they should be.

Do you think that say, £60k per TVM, is value for money?

 

[kkong]

Anyone have any thoughts or ideas as to why only one tender was received by ScotRail?

Unreasonable terms and conditions, unreasonable requirements, back-loaded milestone payments...?

You'd like to think there would be at least some competition for a contract such this.

 

[Haywain]

Do you think that say, £60k per TVM, is value for money?

I don't know the details of the contract, so I can't comment, but it's for a lot more than just TVMs. And you don't just buy a TVM, you pay for installation, lifetime maintenance, software, updates and so on.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Aug 2026 ==

Anyone have any thoughts or ideas as to why only one tender was received by ScotRail?

Unreasonable terms and conditions, unreasonable requirements, back-loaded milestone payments...?

You'd like to think there would be at least some competition for a contract such this.

Probably because there weren't other suppliers who wanted to bid for all the elements of the tender at one go.

 

[styles]

I don't know the details of the contract, so I can't comment, but it's for a lot more than just TVMs. And you don't just buy a TVM, you pay for installation, lifetime maintenance, software, updates and so on.

Sure, and I don't know either. I've taken quite a generous 75% discount off the contract to account for the non-TVM things. I'm asking if you think in principle £60k for a TVM is value for money?

The mobile app is garbage, the website is buggy, the TVMs are often broken; it's hard to see where £84m is providing value.

 

[kkong]

The mobile app is garbage, the website is buggy, the TVMs are often broken; it's hard to see where £84m is providing value.

The new TVMs haven't been deployed yet (as far as I can see). It would be surprising if they had been, given the contract was only signed 12 weeks ago and they need to be manufactured first!

The current TVMs are S&B.

 

[styles]

The new TVMs haven't been deployed yet (as far as I can see). It would be surprising if they had been, given the contract was only signed 8 weeks ago and they need to be manufactured first!

The current TVMs are S&B.

Well, I hope for a magically-enhanced experience from the new TVMs at such a price tag. Next time I'm up buying a ticket from a new TVM I'll report back

 

[Wallsendmag]

Do you think that say, £60k per TVM, is value for money?

Yes when you take into account Ground Surveys, old TVM removal costs new TVM installation costs. Planning Permission Listed Building Consent. Transaction fees plus maintenance Plus the costs of the project team

 

[MadCommuter]

Surprising that the previous supplier didn't bid considering the app was functional and ready to use

 

[Haywain]

Surprising that the previous supplier didn't bid considering the app was functional and ready to use

Was the previous supplier in a position to bid for an integrated retail system including TVMs, ticket office and on board TIS?

 

[Adam Williams]

Well, was SilverRail if they've had to outsource half of it and haven't delivered a functioning app?

 

[Wallsendmag]

Was the previous supplier in a position to bid for an integrated retail system including TVMs, ticket office and on board TIS?

I think only Magellan could really offer that, the ScotRail suppliers seem to be a mix of suppliers all using SilverRail as a journey planner. The Ticket Office TIS is Avocet for instance

 

[Haywain]

Well, was SilverRail if they've had to outsource half of it and haven't delivered a functioning app?

They got the contract, so must have satisfied the requirements. Others didn't bid so must have felt they couldn't or that the requirements were too onerous, I guess.

Point is that it's no good saying this supplier or that supplier could have bid, because we know that they didn't.

 

[scosutsut]

As the on board and station TIS are options, those wouldn't be included in the initial cost? So 53% outsourced would represent what was in the contract and if so it's £44m for ~350 TVMs?

Which would be roughly £125k each over 4 years. Maintenance of a metal box with a computer and a printer inside it shouldn't be crazy I'd imagine.... So that's high set up and installation costs.

I'm sure they will be as big a success as the app tho... I can imagine the self congratulatory posts from the SR PR machine now.

 

[teaspoon]

having had a look at SilverRail's website, their case studies include EMR's 'smart kiosks' - which appears to be the ones that print eTickets on plain paper.

thinking a bit more about this, for me the disappointment isn't that they've given the contract to a company who've failed quite badly at the first hurdle, it's that ScotRail (or Transport Scotland or the Scottish Ministers) haven't been a bit bolder and made any steps towards a modern ticketing system that isn't just based on vending largely point-to-point tickets, whether that's on orange bits of cardboard, ITSO cards, or barcodes on phone screens or on till rolls. (And yes I'm aware of the Tap & Pay app but it's still a right faff compared to TfL contactless or OVpay.)

 

[styles]

having had a look at SilverRail's website, their case studies include EMR's 'smart kiosks' - which appears to be the ones that print eTickets on plain paper.

thinking a bit more about this, for me the disappointment isn't that they've given the contract to a company who've failed quite badly at the first hurdle, it's that ScotRail (or Transport Scotland or the Scottish Ministers) haven't been a bit bolder and made any steps towards a modern ticketing system that isn't just based on vending largely point-to-point tickets, whether that's on orange bits of cardboard, ITSO cards, or barcodes on phone screens or on till rolls. (And yes I'm aware of the Tap & Pay app but it's still a right faff compared to TfL contactless or OVpay.)

Yeah but those brown envelopes don't come cheap mate.

 

[Wallsendmag]

having had a look at SilverRail's website, their case studies include EMR's 'smart kiosks' - which appears to be the ones that print eTickets on plain paper.

thinking a bit more about this, for me the disappointment isn't that they've given the contract to a company who've failed quite badly at the first hurdle, it's that ScotRail (or Transport Scotland or the Scottish Ministers) haven't been a bit bolder and made any steps towards a modern ticketing system that isn't just based on vending largely point-to-point tickets, whether that's on orange bits of cardboard, ITSO cards, or barcodes on phone screens or on till rolls. (And yes I'm aware of the Tap & Pay app but it's still a right faff compared to TfL contactless or OVpay.)

These TVMs are very different to those at EMR.