Network Rail has ordered a test batch of recycled R260 rails worth €962,305 (GB£826,098) net from rail manufacturer Saarstahl to test the feasibility of environmentally-friendly track renewals. Saarstahl produces the steel using an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) at its Ascoval plant near Valenciennes in France. The plant uses scrap metal, including used rails and waste from its rail plant in Hayange, and melts it down in the EAF. According to Saarstahl, the entire manufacturing process produces 60% to 90% less CO2 than conventional methods.
