Sheffield multi-million pound project to help British Steel stay at forefront of rail technology

The company, which supplies the majority of the track laid in the UK and exports to major networks across the globe, is working with the university to ensure British manufacturers remain at the forefront of rail technology and innovation.

The partnership will see British Steel harness new state-of-the-art equipment, alongside the University of Sheffield’s world-renowned metallurgy and mechanical engineering expertise.

Installed across two sites at the university’s Faculty of Engineering and British Steel’s research and development facility at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham, the equipment will be used to test steel that can be used to build new and improved railway infrastructures.

The investments include machinery that will be able to simulate the contact between wheels and railway rails under a variety of different conditions giving British Steel and the rail industry the ability to test new rails and sleepers more rapidly than could be achieved by trial installations on the network.

British Steel CEO Ron Deelen said: “This partnership will help ensure British Steel continues to lead the way in developing and building the railways of the future.

" In a hugely competitive market, we’re committed to enhancing our product range so we can keep meeting and exceeding the high standards operators and travellers rightly demand.

“Product development, integrity and innovation have never been as important, with major rail infrastructure programmes around the world, including HS2, requiring the high-quality products synonymous with the British Steel name.”

He continued: " We’re well-placed to supply significant quantities of rail, and constructional steel, into major projects like these and deliver cost-effective solutions to the challenges our customers face.”

For more information on the University of Sheffield’s railway engineering research and expertise, visit: https://merail.group.shef.ac.uk/

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