Sources Sought
Refurbished and Used Boxcars
Department of Transportation · Office of the Secretary · Sol. RFI-DOT-VOLPE-2026-001
Due in 12 days
AI summary Beta
The U.S. DOT's Volpe Center (Cambridge, MA) is doing market research, not buying yet, on refurbished and used 50-foot railway boxcars. The boxcars would carry ammunition and explosives for the U.S. Army and would be delivered to a CONUS Army rail base (location to be decided). This is a Sources Sought / RFI, so the Government will not pay for responses.
Watch out for
- Specialized rail equipment and AAR certifications. Cars must meet detailed AAR/FRA standards and (for refurbished cars) be reworked in an AAR-qualified shop, which most small businesses cannot do without a certified partner.
All work/re-work shall be performed in an AAR qualified rail shop.
- Large possible quantity. The RFI asks for unit pricing for orders of up to 500 boxcars, which implies large inventory and financing needs.
What is the estimated unit cost per boxcar for orders up to 500 boxcars?
- Government inspection rights and delivery by rail. The Government can inspect and reject cars before work starts, and cars must be delivered by railroad to an Army base before any payment, so the contractor carries freight and acceptance risk.
Acceptance will require inspection for carrier damage at the destination prior to any payment to the contractor.
- Market research only. This is an RFI, so responding costs you time with no payment and no guarantee a solicitation will follow.
The U.S. Government will not pay for any effort expended in responding to this notice.
Read from the notice and 1 attachment.
- Refurbished and Used Boxcar RFI_10.7.26 (SAM).docx
Full brief
What they want
- Option 1: multiple refurbished 50-foot standard boxcars (wood floor, wood-lined steel walls, 70-ton minimum capacity, AAR mechanical designation XM, car type B314 or equal, 30 years minimum remaining life per AAR)
- Option 2: multiple used 50-foot standard boxcars with all major systems working (doors, brakes, couplers), able to meet AAR XM / B314 or equal
- Cars painted and stenciled to the spec (yellow carbody, red doors, Army stenciling) for Option 1
- Refurbishing done in an AAR-qualified rail shop with a Quality Assurance Plan (Option 1)
- Delivery by railroad to a CONUS U.S. Army rail base, with cars registered in the AAR UMLER files
- A written Statement of Capabilities answering the Table 1 questions (unit cost for up to 500 cars, lead time, warranty, car descriptions and photos)
- Place of performance
- Cambridge, MA, USA (Volpe Center); boxcars to be delivered to a CONUS U.S. Army rail base, location TBD
- Offers due
- October 21, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time (response deadline field: 2026-10-21T17:00:00-04:00)
- How to submit
- Email to Patricia Barnett (patricia.barnett@dot.gov), Cc: Matthew Phelps (matthew.phelps@dot.gov)
What to include when you submit
- Submit a written Statement of Capabilities with enough detail to show experience, technical capability and expertise
- Answer the Table 1: Information Requested items and say whether each answer is for Option 1 (Refurbished) or Option 2 (Used)
- Include company name and addresses, points of contact, website, SAM.gov UEI, CAGE code, and business size under NAICS 336510
- List DoD / Army contracts and award dates from the past 3 years
- Give an estimated unit cost per boxcar for orders up to 500 boxcars, lead time to first delivery, and warranty terms
- Describe the prospective boxcars (description, age, photos); for Option 1, say whether your shop is AAR certified and provide the certificate
You must have
- Refurbishing and fabrication work must be done in an AAR qualified rail shop (Option 1)
All work/re-work shall be performed in an AAR qualified rail shop.
- Vendor performing the work needs AAR M-1003 (Activity Code A20) and AAR S-2034 car builder certifications, which are checked at inspection
AAR M-1003 Certification for Activity Code A20 (Manufacturer of Freight Cars) and AAR S-2034 Car Builder Certification from Vendor performing the boxcar construction.
- The refurbishing shop must provide a Quality Assurance Plan
The shop performing the fabrication and reconditioning shall provide a Quality Assurance Plan
- Respondents need a SAM.gov UEI and CAGE code and must be able to do business directly with the U.S. Government
Is your company able to do business directly with the U.S. Government?
- Contractor must register the cars in the AAR UMLER files
The contractor will be responsible for registering the cars in the AAR UMLER (Universal Machine Language Equipment Register) files.
Not in the notice text
- Number of boxcars the Government will actually buy
- Delivery location (a CONUS U.S. Army rail base, location TBD)
- Contract type, budget, and timeline for any later solicitation
- Whether a set-aside will be used (the notice lists none)
- Reporting mark identification information, which the RFI says will be provided later
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Key facts
- Response due
- Oct 21, 2026, 9:00 PM UTC
- Posted
- Oct 7, 2026
- Notice type
- Sources Sought
- Solicitation
- RFI-DOT-VOLPE-2026-001
- Agency
- Department of Transportation · Office of the Secretary
- Office
- 6913G6 Volpe Natl. Trans. Sys CNTR
- NAICS
- 336510
- Product/service code
- 2220
- Business type
- Aircraft, ship & vehicle parts
- Place of performance
- Cambridge, MA
- Contracting contact
- Patricia Barnettpatricia.barnett@dot.gov617-494-2976
Full notice text from SAM.gov
The U.S. Department of Transportation, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), Cambridge, MA, 02142, is conducting market research to determine the availability of refurbished and used boxcars. These boxcars are needed to safely transport ammunition and explosives in compliance with strict military safety regulations. This RFI notice does not constitute a solicitation and is not to be construed as a commitment by the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government will not pay for any effort expended in responding to this notice. See attached Word document: "Refurbished and Used Boxcar RFI_10.7.26 (SAM)"
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