Locomotive 92-Day Periodic Safety Inspections

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe National Transportation Systems Center has awarded a single-award hybrid contract for Locomotive 92-Day Periodic Safety Inspections under solicitation number 6913G626Q300009, structured as a total small business set-aside using simplified procedures under FAR Part 12 and Subpart 13.5. The contract, issued as a firm-fixed-price arrangement with non-team-estimated reimbursable travel and other direct costs, requires a contractor to perform federally mandated safety inspections on 15 Electro-Motive Diesel locomotives across seven U.S. Army rail installations, including Fort Bliss, Fort Hood, Fort Carson, Fort Stewart, Fort Campbell, Fort Leonard Wood, and Fort McCoy. The base performance period runs from March 2, 2026, through September 24, 2026, with two option periods extending through August 31, 2028. The contractor must conduct approximately 30 inspections during the base period and 60 during each option year, adhering strictly to 49 CFR Part 229 and delivering completed FRA Form F6180-49A and preventive maintenance worksheets within five business days of each inspection. Personnel must be qualified mechanical inspectors with demonstrated expertise in EMD locomotives and NYAB CCB-26 brake systems, and the contractor is required to participate in monthly teleconferences and coordinate field operations with military installations. The contract includes separate firm-fixed-price line items for inspection labor and non-team-estimated reimbursable line items for travel and other direct costs across the base and both option periods, with pricing submitted by the offeror as part of a three-volume quotation structure that evaluates technical approach, personnel qualifications, past performance, and price in that order of importance. While the total estimated contract value is unspecified due to uncompleted pricing fields, the solicitation emphasizes a best-value trade-off approach rather than lowest-price technically acceptable. The government provides consumables such as brake shoes and filters but requires the contractor to supply all tools, diagnostic equipment, and qualified personnel. Delivery and performance occur at the locomotives’ locations, with acceptance formalized on-site through government sign-off on Standard Form 1449. The contract incorporates key FAR clauses related to commercial item acquisition, requires offerors to certify small business status in SAM.gov, and mandates compliance with security protocols under Clause 1252.2