British Steel’s Scunthorpe Rail and Section Mill has worked with Belgian railway infrastructure operator Infrabel to develop a type of rail used exclusively in Belgium.
As one of few rail suppliers to roll this profile, British Steel is now positioned as an indispensable partner to Infrabel for many years to come.
Craig Harvey, Commercial Director said: “Our commitment to technological innovation enables us to offer customer solutions built on our core strengths of metallurgy and manufacturing excellence.
“We have developed many partnering relationships and have become a strategic supply chain partner to many organisations around the world. This latest development with Infrabel will see our footprint in the supply chain increase and provide Infrabel with additional purchasing options for their rail needs.”
Raphael Burniaux, Head of Production of Infrabel’s rail welding workshop said: “35% of the rails we weld are 50E2 rails. We are very pleased with this partnership, as it has made it possible to make the supply of this less common, but essential profile more reliable for Infrabel”.
A key element of the supply contract was British Steel’s ability to supply the first delivery of the new profile to Infrabel’s schedule, meaning the first load has already been delivered.
Most countries operate one or two different rail profiles, often unique to their own national railway network. Different profiles have been selected historically based on the specific traffic demands and environmental conditions in that country.
The wide spectrum of track and traffic conditions found in the modern railway environment is matched by our comprehensive range of steel rail products. By working in partnership with customers, manufacturers can ensure products fulfil the demands of the international railway industry.
Mr Harvey aded: “New and bespoke rail profiles will always be considered based on minimum order quantities and although we introduce many new profiles each year, this development for Infrabel creates the blueprint for us to supply 50kg rail profiles worldwide.
“The 50 in the profile name refers to the weight of a rail per unit length and it is an important factor in determining rail strength and hence axle loads and speeds. All British Steel rail profiles are measured in kg per metre meaning that for every metre of the profile there is 50kg of weight.
“Our rail products and grades can be matched precisely to track conditions, track types, environmental conditions and lots of other variables to ensure that every rail we deliver provides the best performance throughout its service life.”
