Network Rail has introduced the first composite railway sleepers on its main line tracks.

Composite sleepers on Sherrington Viaduct, near Salisbury

© Network Rail

Made from recycled plastic, engineers recently installed the environmentally-friendly technology across the weight-restricted Sherrington Viaduct between Salisbury and Warminster in Wiltshire.

Previously, track across the viaduct would have been fitted with wooden sleepers, as concrete would have been too heavy for the structure. From 31 July creosote-treated softwood sleepers will be banned, and the wood alternative would be sleepers made with hardwood. Instead, these new sleepers, manufactured in the UK by Sicut Ltd, use a blend of locally-sourced plastic waste that may otherwise end up at landfill.
source= https://railway-news.com/network-rail-lays-first-recycled-plastic-railway-sleepers/