The Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Warwickshire will receive rail supplies from British Steel.

The centre is used for providing training within a live environment, storing rolling stock and is the UK’s only test loop, which they use to trial new traction technologies.

An investment to redevelop the centre by its owner, Porterbrook, will optimise the location for electric fleets as well as battery, hydrogen and diesel vehicles.

In the future, the centre will have the capability to support European Train Control Systems (ETCS).

British Steel is supplying 350 tonnes of rail through Trackwork, which is the project’s principal contractor.

They will be designing, installing and modifying 11km of track to the existing layout. Deliveries of 56e1 profile rail began earlier in the year, and the project is successful thus far.

This marks a significant step in improving infrastructure and brings Porterbrook’s total investment in the site to £75 million. They began investing in the Centre in 2021.

“We are delighted to have supplied Trackwork with our UK manufactured rails for this project.

“British Steel is the headline sustainability sponsor at Rail Live this year and we will look forward to seeing the newly supplied rails in place as part of the modernisation scheme when we attend in June.”

British Steel’s Darren Cole, UK Account Manager for Rail