The Science Museum Group has published an Invitation to Tender (ITT) to find Flying Scotsman’s new custodian.
Steve Morgan
The world famous locomotive’s previous custodian agreement with Riley & Son (E) Ltd ended on 31 December 2023.
The new contract is expected to start on 3 June 2024 and last until 31 January 2032.
The custodian is responsible for operating and maintaining Flying Scotsman and working with the National Railway Museum and partners to plan and deliver Flying’s Scotsman’s operational calendar. The custodian will also be responsible for Flying Scotsman’s next overhaul – due before the main line boiler ticket expires in 2029.
Currently based at the National Railway Museum in York, the locomotive will remain in public ownership as part of the Science Museum Group’s collection.
Judith McNicol, Director of the National Railway Museum, said: “We are seeking a single supplier to act as custodian for Flying Scotsman and to work closely with us to ensure that the 100-year-old locomotive receives the best care possible to preserve it for future generations. We also want to give people across the UK the chance to see the locomotive in person and we will create a public engagement calendar that includes main line excursions, heritage railway visits and display at the National Railway Museum and Locomotion.”
The tender is an open competition designed to give all bids equal and fair consideration.
Price and quality of responses will be evaluated and scored on a series of criteria including previous experience, technical ability, public engagement, staffing, project management and sustainability.
Flying Scotsman will remain in the current configuration and livery to reflect as closely as possible its condition at the end of its working life in the early 1960s, however the tender does include provision for the National Railway Museum to convert the locomotive to a single chimney and change the livery, if requested. It also includes a limit on annual mileage to ensure a balance between operational requirements and conservation.
For further information, visit the Science Museum Group’s procurement website: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/sciencemuseumgroup.
