Tata Steel has won a major contract to supply more than 57 kilometres of rail for London’s Crossrail project.
Around 7,000 tonnes of new rail will be installed as part of the project, which will connect Reading in the west with Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.
With tunnelling works due to be completed early this year, attention will shift to fitting out the tunnels and laying the track, all of which is being delivered by an Alstom, TSO and Costain Joint Venture.
The steel for the rails will be manufactured in Scunthorpe and then transported to Tata’s steel works in Hayange, France, to be rolled.
Gérard Glas, Tata Steel’s rail sector head, said: “The Crossrail project will have a huge impact on improving the commuting experience in London and we are delighted to be a part of that.”
So the steel will be made in Scunthorpe, go to France to be rolled and then the rails brought back to the UK. Since the closure of the Workington rolling mill and concentration of European rail manufacture in France, overall cost to Network Rail must have obviously increased dramatically.
Yes, pourquoi faire simple quand on peut faire compliqué?