Monday 16 Feb 2009
PLASTIC FANTASTIC: RECYCLED SLEEPERS FROM HALIFAX SET TO ROLL OUT ACROSS THE NETWORK
- Region & Route:
Sleepers made by a Halifax company from recycled plastic are being trialled by Network Rail to see if they could form part of the railway of the future.
The trial will see around 20 tonnes of waste material recycled to form the new sleepers which will replace timber ones along some of the rural lines on the network. During the trial, Network Rail will test whether they can withstand the rigours of a running railway, and, once proven, will look to progressively roll them out across parts of the network.
Each year Network Rail replaces around 185,000 timber sleepers, which are a feature on some slower lines, as well as depots, sidings and points at junctions.
Using recycled plastic to make sleepers has many advantages, not least reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill. Locally sourced, they can be made as long as needed, helping to reduce costs when compared to hardwood beams which have to be imported from managed forests thousands of miles away.
Jerry England, director of engineering at Network Rail said: “This is an important scheme for Network Rail, helping recycling while putting waste to good use. Rail has the enviable position of being the most environmentally friendly and sustainable form of transport, and it is new thinking like this that will help us to improve our record further.”
The sleepers are being developed and supplied by i-plas, a plastic waste recycling company, based in Halifax
Notes to editors
On top of replacing the 185,000 timber sleepers, Network Rail renews 800,000 concrete and 450,000 steel sleepers across the network every year. Timber sleepers are predominantly used on sections on the network where linespeed is slower, such as station terminals, sidings and junctions.Contact information
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