British Steel has won its largest ever order for rail sleepers
with a major export deal for West Africa
At a
glance
- The deal will see the
export of 244,000 steel sleepers to Guinea
- They
will be used to upgrade a railway line at a bauxite mine
- Steel
sleepers are stronger and more durable than wooden sleepers and are 100%
recyclable, according to the UK firm
British Steel has won its largest ever order for rail sleepers
with a major export deal for West Africa.
The deal will see the export of 244,000 steel sleepers to
Guinea, which will be used to upgrade a railway line at a bauxite mine.
The firm said its steel sleepers, manufactured at its Scunthorpe
plant, were 100% recyclable and provided a more durable and cost-effective
solution for track operators
Rail export sales manager Jérôme Bonef described it as fantastic
news for the business.
It comes just two weeks after the firm announced the
closure of its coking ovens at the plant, with the loss of up to
260 jobs.
The closure is seen as a worrying indicator about the health of
the UK steel industry, with union officials claiming the industry "is on a
knife edge".
On the subject of the export deal, Mr Bonef said: “Our steel
sleepers provide the perfect technical solution to the challenges facing rail
operators in this region and we’re proud to have been chosen to support such a
major project," he added.
According to British Steel, Guinea is estimated to possess more
than a quarter of the world’s supply of bauxite, and as it continues to
increase its export capacity, it needs to upgrade existing freight lines.
Steel sleepers are stronger and more durable than wooden
sleepers, which have been traditionally used in African regions.
Working in partnership with Trackwork, which processes the
rolled sleeper into its finished form, British Steel’s contract with the Guinea
Bauxite Company will see it deliver the steel sleepers over the next year.
Another partner, Pandrol, is providing the railway fastenings to
secure the sleepers.
Trackwork sales manager Dave Roberts said it was "the most
significant" single order for steel railway sleepers in the "long
history of our partnership with British Steel"