British Steel in Scunthorpe has secured a contract to produce railway track for use in the construction of Egypt's first fully electrified mainline and freight network.
In a multi-million-pound contract, British Steel will supply 9,500 tonnes of track for Egypt's Green Line, its landmark new route in North Africa, which extends from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.
The 660 km-long network will carry passenger and freight trains at a maximum speed of 155mph.
British Steel is just one of a number of key suppliers producing 18-metre-long rails. The steel has been specified to conform to 60E1 in grade R260.
We are delighted British Steel has been involved in such a transformational project for Egypt
British Steel Commercial Manager Export – Rail, Jérôme Bonef
Once the line is complete, it will transform transport throughout the country and is designed to reduce primary energy usage and overall air pollution.
The rails will be shipped from Scunthorpe in two batches.
The first will be shipped this month to the port of Alexandria in northern Egypt, with the second batch of rails being shipped in June. They will be used to extend the line in two directions:
- From Alexandria via El Alamein to the Mediterranean coast in the north-west.
- Eastwards to the Gulf of Suez and the Red Sea.
The National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) for Egypt is overseeing the design, construction, commissioning, and operation of the line, with the project being managed by Orascom Construction and Arab Contractors Joint Venture.
A $3 billion contract was awarded last year to Siemens Mobility to provide locomotives for the new line including:
- Velaro trains for high-speed passenger trains.
- Desiro high trains for regional train sets.
- Vectron locomotives for hauling freight trains.
- European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 and other advanced systems to provide for the signalling and control of the trains.
This is not the first time that British Steel has exported rails abroad, as last year it exported 100-metre lengths of rail to Belgium that were transported by DB Cargo.
We are delighted British Steel has been awarded this contract and to be involved in such a transformational project for Egypt, which will bring significant improvements to the transport network.
The British Steel rail business prides itself on providing value solutions to our customers, being easy to trade with whilst providing on-time deliveries with world-leading quality.
British Steel Commercial Manager Export – Rail, Jérôme Bonef
I thought the greens were doing their utmost to shut the steel plants in the UK, and transfer steel production to the none green China, any well done to British Steel on this contract.
I do not know your source but you seem to take exception to the Greens who are an insignificantly small group with little influence in UK. What the Greens seem to stand for is living within our means in terms of resources. The manufacture of steel is energy intensive. Energy is expensive and it is on the basis of operating costs that the commercial companies have decided to only retain recycling steel in UK whilst. Those companies are continuing full steel production where there is a bigger market, in the European Union.