Prior Notice for Provision of National Database Sourcing Event

Descriptions

The purpose of this periodic indicative notice (PIN) is to notify the supply market of Network Rail's intention to tender for the future National Gauging Database (NGD). The National Gauging Database (NGD) is used to store information about clearances between objects on the railway (‘Gauging’). The NGD accepts data in the form of electronic files from several sources, which are then stored for use by Track Gauging Engineers, train designers and route operators when deciding what can and cannot run on the UK's rail network. Inaccuracies in this data can be costly and potentially dangerous. Provision of this data is a legal obligation based on Network Rail’s licencing conditions from the Office of Rail and Road. The aim of the project is to: 1) reduce the risk of data errors and automate the process of loading data as much as possible; 2) integrate with other systems through the provision of interfaces for input and output.