Composite railway sleepers made from recycled plastics have been installed on Network Rail mainline tracks for the first time.
The new technology has been installed across the weight-restricted Sherrington Viaduct, between Salisbury and Warminster. Previously, track across the viaduct would have had to be fitted with wooden sleepers, as concrete would have been too heavy for the structure.
But from 31 July this year, creosote-treated softwood sleepers will be banned and the alternative is sleepers made with hardwood. The new composite sleepers are manufactured by Sicut in the UK using a blend of locally-sourced plastic waste that may otherwise end up at landfill.
Network Rail said it hoped to reach its Zero Carbon 2050 target due to at least a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from sleeper production and embodying recycled plastic within the track infrastructure for at least 50 years.
The sleepers also have an increased service life and reduced maintenance compared with timber sleepers. Unlike traditional wooden sleepers, composite sleepers do not split, rot or degrade over time and can resist water, oil, chemicals and fungi. Designed for more than 50 years of use, when they are eventually replaced, they can be re-used, re-purposed or recycled to make new sleepers or other composite products.
Network Rail Wessex route director Mark Killick said: “This is an exciting development; use of these recycled sleepers on the Network Rail Wessex route is a first for the overground railway network in Britain.
“Rail is already one of the greenest ways to travel, but we’re committed to even greener and better journeys whether this be changing how we maintain the lineside or finding innovative ways to improve the railway by reusing materials and reducing landfill.
“By using these sleepers, not only are we upgrading the track for customers, they will be travelling on a railway laid using sustainable materials as part of the circular economy.”
