photo: Archives/Plastic railway sleepers are being tested in England
They are able to withstand at least 50 years and are better than concrete or wood in all respects. The experts from the railway structure in the county of Wiltshire, decided to conduct an experiment by installing railroad tracks made from recycled plastic waste. This was reported by Network Rail.
Plastic sleepers differ from traditional ones in terms of their service life. Unlike concrete or wooden sleepers, they can last at least 50 years.
They do not crumble, do not rot, they are resistant to moisture and fungus. And after the end of their service life, the sleepers can be recycled and reinstalled.
Another distinctive feature of plastic sleepers is their environmental friendliness. In comparison, wooden sleepers are treated with creosote, a toxic liquid from which railway workers suffer the most. Britain plans to ban such traverses from July 31.
Meanwhile, rail travel in Britain fell to 1872 levels.
It will be recalled that British companies are constantly working to improve freight transport.
In April was announced that freight trains will soon be able to reach speeds of up to 160 km / h.
Orion, a subsidiary of Rail Operations, plans to begin operating the UK's first high-speed freight trains in April. For this purpose, it will use the brand Orion High Speed Logistics, writes World Railways.
Five trains will initially run on the ring road between the north of England and Scotland and will carry mail and light cargo.
Orion's high-speed logistics trains reach speeds of up to 160 km / h, which is a significant advantage over trains of other British freight operators (their speed is limited to 120 km / h).
The United Kingdom will also use trains that run on human waste and discarded food.