Refurbished and Used Boxcars

Federal · Department of TransportationDue Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Client: Department of Transportation
RFP Number: —
Posted: 10/9/2026
Category: US Federal
Budget: —
NAICS: 336510
Set-aside: —
Contact: Patricia Barnett
Email: patricia.barnett@dot.gov

Description

AI Generated

The U.S. Department of Transportation, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, is conducting market research to assess the availability of refurbished and used 50-foot railway boxcars. The government needs these boxcars to safely transport ammunition and explosives in compliance with military safety regulations. Option 1 requires refurbished boxcars with wood floors, wood-lined steel walls, a minimum 70-ton load capacity, and at least 30 years of remaining AAR life. Option 2 requires used boxcars meeting similar structural standards with fully functional major systems, including manually operable sliding doors. Interested vendors must submit responses detailing company information, business size under NAICS 336510, past U.S. Army or DoD contract numbers from the last three years, estimated unit costs for up to 500 boxcars, and boxcar descriptions with photos. Responders for Option 1 must state if their shop has AAR certification and describe required refurbishing efforts. Submissions are due by October 21, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. This request for information is strictly for planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation or financial commitment.

Key solicitation details

AI-extracted from Refurbished and Used Boxcar RFI_10.7.26 (SAM).docx. Confirm against the original documents before bidding.

The U.S. Department of Transportation, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center is conducting market research via an RFI to determine the availability of refurbished and used 50-foot railway boxcars. The boxcars are needed to safely transport ammunition and explosives in compliance with strict military safety regulations. This notice is for market research only and does not constitute a solicitation.

Issued by: U.S. Department of Transportation, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
Date of Issuance: October 7, 2026
Response Due Date: October 21, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time
How to submit: electronically via email
Submission details: Submit written Statement of Capabilities to Patricia Barnett ([email protected]), Cc: Matthew Phelps ([email protected]) no later than October 21, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
Place of performance: CONUS U.S. Army rail base, location TBD

Scope of work

Option 1 - Refurbished Boxcars: Multiple general purpose refurbished 50-foot standard railway boxcars with minimum load capacity of 70-tons and 30-years remaining life
Option 2 - Used Boxcars: Multiple general purpose used 50-foot standard railway boxcars with wood floors, wood lined steel walls, and functional major systems

Minimum qualifications

Refurbishing work/re-work performed in an AAR qualified rail shop
AAR M-1003 Certification for Activity Code A20 (Manufacturer of Freight Cars)
AAR S-2034 Car Builder Certification from Vendor performing boxcar construction

Documents to include with the bid

Statement of Capabilities
Quality Assurance Plan provided by the shop performing fabrication and reconditioning
Required manuals and documentation identifying materials, material finishes, or treatment
Company Name, Mailing Address, UEI Number, and CAGE Code
Description of prospective boxcars including description, age, and photos
AAR shop certificate (Option 1 Only)

Official SAM.gov notice

Solicitation number: RFI-DOT-VOLPE-2026-001
Agency: Department of Transportation
Buying office: Office of the Secretary › 6913G6 Volpe Natl. Trans. SYS CNTR
Notice type: Sources Sought
Responses due: Oct 21, 2026, 5:00 PM ET
Posted on SAM.gov: Oct 7, 2026
NAICS: 336510 · Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing
Product/service code: 2220
Place of performance: Cambridge, MA
Contracting contact: Patricia Barnett
patricia.barnett@dot.gov
617-494-2976
Additional contact: Matthew Phelps
matthew.phelps@dot.gov
617-494-2612

Read the official notice description

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)"

Source: SAM.gov contract opportunities data (U.S. federal public data).

Incumbent

No incumbent history found for this requirement. The notice does not cite a current contract, and no earlier award from this buying office matches it.

Market context

Awards in the same category (Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing). This is not this requirement's award history.

Recent similar awards: Department of Transportation, NAICS 336510, performed in MA

Vendor and award	Value	Ends
OGNAGNUS LLC6913G624P800017 · DESIGN, ENGINEERING, ASSEMBLY DRAWING PACKAGES, AND INITIAL PRODUCTION OF HEAVY-DUTY CHAIN	$3.9M	Mar 6, 2026
MCCLUNG-LOGAN EQUIPMENT COMPANY, INC.6913G624P800087 · THE PURPOSE OF THIS REQUIREMENT IS TO MANUFACTURE AND TRANSPORT ONE RAILWAY CAR SPOTTER VE	$1.1M	Feb 24, 2025

Top vendors in this category: Department of Transportation, NAICS 336510, since Oct 1, 2024

16 contract awards in this NAICS over the period.

1. EBENEZER RAILCAR SERVICES, INC.$6.9M
2. KNOXVILLE LOCOMOTIVE WORKS, INC.$3.0M
3. QUALITY TURBOCHARGER COMPONENTS LLC$886.4K
4. KNOX KERSHAW INC$733.4K
5. OGNAGNUS LLC$588.8K

Source: USAspending.gov federal award data (U.S. federal public data). A contract is called the incumbent only when the notice or its documents cite it by number.

Verify important details

Document check

Confirm submission instructions and amendments with the issuing agency before responding.

1 available fileDocuments checked Oct 9, 2026

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