Rail recycling plant planned in Westbury

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

A recycling centre which will reprocess 30,0000 tonnes of old railway track is to be built in Wiltshire.

Network Rail said it hopes to open the ^8m facility in Westbury by spring 2010. The plant, which will create 20 jobs, will recycle a quarter of all Britain's disused rail stock. Most of the material will arrive on trains.

Martin Ellwood, a director of Network Rail said: "The 21st century railway will also be an eco-friendly railway."

The centre will also recycle 110,000 disused concrete sleepers which will either be reused on the railway across the Western route or sold on for such things as agriculture and road paving. Rails and fittings will be processed into the scrap metal market and used in steel manufacturing.

Network Rail promised any heavy goods using the new plant will only travel via designated HGV routes.

The firm has moved protected lizard species, including slow worms, found at the site to a protected area and have consulted environmental experts to ensure their plans do not disturb nearby bat roosts.

A kilometre of new rail track will be laid to bring the recycling material to the 12-acre site.

[eightf48544]

When I first saw this I thought it was a recycling depot which was served by rail. But it really is a rail recycling plant.

It is to be hoped that preserved railways get a chance to buy before it's scrapped. Ex mainline CWR^▸ (Continuously Welded Rail) and concrete sleepers are usually more than adequate foir lines with a 25mph speed limit.
 

[Electric train]

There is also a large NR^» (Network Rail - home page) recycling plant at Whitemoor Yard March.  These are needed as the landfill tax exemption NR currently enjoy well end in 3 years time.

As for heritage railway buying the scrap I am sure they have made contact with NR as the article say NR want sustainable use of its waste

[inspector_blakey]

...and indeed has just donated a considerable quantity of used rail from Theale to a heritage railway project with which I am closely acquainted! All they had to do was pay for the transport costs (not inconsiderable, but worth it for the quality and quantity of rail that was available).

[eightf48544]

...and indeed has just donated a considerable quantity of used rail from Theale to a heritage railway project with which I am closely acquainted! All they had to do was pay for the transport costs (not inconsiderable, but worth it for the quality and quantity of rail that was available).

Good news!