The United States Navy, part of the U.S. Armed Forces, has launched a procedure for the acquisition of flat railcars, with the winner of the contract being responsible for the design and production of the rolling stock. The contract is defined as a fixed price and firm order.
The government, through the Department of Defense, issued an RFI (Request for Information) as part of its market research for the procurement of the railcars. The purpose of the announcement is to determine the availability and technical capability of companies to supply the required products.
The flatcar is a new model, specially designed and engineered to transport Active Inert Missiles. This new design is essential due to the specific requirements of these types of missiles. The current fleet of such railcars is due to reach the end of its service life on July 1, 2031, making it necessary to purchase new railcars to ensure continuity of transport capabilities.
The supplier will provide the new design and manufacturing services for the flat car, based on the system requirements documents and the Specifications provided. These requirements include all references necessary for the coordination of transport and operation of the wagon, and the supplier must be able to meet the standards of the American Association of Railroads (AAR). The supplier will provide all the facilities necessary for the development of the technical data package and the manufacture of the wagons.
Delivery will be FOB Destination, which means that the supplier will be responsible for the transport and risks of the goods (in this case, the flatcars) until they reach the final location indicated by the US Navy.
The new flatcars will replace the existing DODX 40000 series, originally designed and built by the US Army in 1981.
The demilitarization of these flatcars is scheduled to begin around January 1, 2031, which requires their withdrawal from service. The Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) program originally purchased these cars to transport Active Inert Missiles (AIM) between facilities. However, the current 3-axle, 6-wheel design is outdated, and the American Association of Railroads (AAR) will not grant an extension of their operating life.
Share on:
