Trains in Wiltshire are now running on top of old bottles, food packaging and other unwanted plastics, with the introduction of the first composite railway sleepers on Network Rail’s main line tracks.

Made from recycled plastic, engineers recently installed the environmentally-friendly technology 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. Sleepers sit on the ballast and hold up the rails, keeping them the correct distance apart.

From 31 July this year, creosote-treated softwood sleepers will be banned and the alternative is sleepers made with hardwood. Instead, the new sleepers are manufactured by Sicut Ltd in the UK using a blend of locally-sourced plastic waste that may otherwise end up at landfill.

Click here for full article:https://www.networkrail.co.uk/news/beyond-wood-first-recycled-plastic-railway-sleepers-laid-on-network-rail-tracks/