27.06.12
Doncaster rail sleeper factory plans approved
A contract for a new rail factory has been agreed to supply the network with concrete sleepers. Doncaster council approved the plans this week.
The factory will be owned by Network Rail and built and operated by consortium Trackwork Moll in a 10-year contract to provide concrete sleepers for the company’s programme of track improvement works.
A formal agreement for Trackwork Moll to design and build and operate the new facility has now been signed, with clearance of the Woodyard site already begun. Construction is due to start in July and full production is expected to start in Spring 2013.
Martin Elwood, director of Network Rail’s National Delivery Service, said: “This factory is crucial if we are to deliver better value for money whilst maintaining a safe, reliable railway.
“We need around 700,000 concrete sleepers each year and, once commissioned, this factory will produce around 400,000 of those. It will also directly create around 30 new jobs, with knock-on benefits to the local supply chain.
“This is a strategic decision by Network Rail to protect the supplies which are vital for our track programme. At the same time, we can reduce costs by increasing competition and introducing more modern production methods.
“Doncaster is the ideal location for this factory as these sidings are already used as a hub for engineering trains and its central location will make distribution acrossBritain’s rail network easier and more efficient.”
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