10.12.13
Doncaster factory to provide sleepers for Network Rail
A new sleeper factory in Doncaster was officially opened yesterday by transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin.
The facility will employ around 45 people and help to supply around 400,000 concrete sleepers for use on the network each year. The principal contractors were all based locally, and the factory was designed and built by joint venture Trackwork Moll. The company is contracted to provide sleepers to Network Rail for the next ten years.
Production of sleepers for the rail network should begin in February next year, once more tests and approvals have been completed.
McLoughlin said: “Thanks to the ongoing investment by Network Rail in our national railway infrastructure companies like Trackwork Moll, a concrete railway sleeper factory in Doncaster, are keeping our trains moving, delivering massive benefits for passengers and the economy thanks to faster, more frequent and reliable services.”
Phil Verster, route managing director for Network Rail’s London North Eastern and East Midlands Route, added: “We are investing in our railway at a rate not seen since the Victorian era. This is resulting in significant improvements for passengers and allowing us to carry huge amounts of essential freight, keeping lorries off the road. This factory will help us to do all of this while at the same time driving down costs, allowing us to do more for less.”
For the full story and pictures, including an interview with McLoughlin and general manager of the factory, Peter Heubeck, see the Dec/Jan edition of the magazine.
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