Sources Sought
Refurbished and Used Boxcars
Department of Transportation · Office of the Secretary
AI summaryThe 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. More in the summary
Market research, not a bid. Replying is free and tells Office of the Secretary who could do this work. Send a short reply to the contracting contact; no price is needed. See the contact
AI summary Beta
Summary of the version posted Oct 7, 2026. The notice was amended Oct 27, 2026. The due date moved from Oct 21, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Check what else changed on SAM.gov.
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.
Who can bid (5)
- Refurbishing and fabrication work must be done in an AAR qualified rail shop (Option 1)
- Vendor performing the work needs AAR M-1003 (Activity Code A20) and AAR S-2034 car builder certifications, which are checked at inspection
- The refurbishing shop must provide a Quality Assurance Plan
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- Respondents need a SAM.gov UEI and CAGE code and must be able to do business directly with the U.S. Government
- Contractor must register the cars in the AAR UMLER files
How to submit: Email to Patricia Barnett (patricia.barnett@dot.gov), Cc: Matthew Phelps (matthew.phelps@dot.gov), due October 21, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time (response deadline field: Oct 21, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT). What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (4)
- Serious: 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.
- Worth checking: Large possible quantity. The RFI asks for unit pricing for orders of up to 500 boxcars, which implies large inventory and financing needs.
- Worth checking: 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.
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- Minor: Market research only. This is an RFI, so responding costs you time with no payment and no guarantee a solicitation will follow.
Read from the notice and 1 attachment. Show which files.
- Refurbished and Used Boxcar RFI_10.7.26 (SAM).docx (read)
Full summary
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
- Estimated value
- Not stated
- Offers due
- October 21, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time (response deadline field: Oct 21, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT) (from the version posted Oct 7, 2026; amended since)
- 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
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
Eligibility and how to respond
- No set-aside. Any business can reply: this is market research, and no bid is being taken yet.
- To respond, send a short reply to the contracting contact near the top of this page. No price is needed.
Notice details
- Posted
- Oct 27, 2026
- Notice type
- Sources Sought
- Office
- 6913G6 Volpe Natl. Trans. Sys CNTR, Cambridge, MA
- Product/service code
- 2220 · Rail Cars
- Business type
- Aircraft, ship & vehicle parts (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 336510)
- Versions
2 versions have been posted, newest first.
- Oct 27, 2026 · Amendment 0001 (this version)Due Nov 13, 2026 (changed)
- Oct 7, 2026 · Sources SoughtDue Oct 21, 2026
- Attachments
Past awards and competition
Who has won work like this before, the likely incumbent, and what similar contracts paid, from USAspending.gov.
Before you respond
Terms on this notice: Sources sought notice
Latest amendment note (Amendment 1) from SAM.gov
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