UK-based steelmaker British Steel has announced it will enhance its range of rail products and services by embarking on a multi-million-pound research and a development program with engineers from the University of Sheffield.
State-of-the-art testing equipment and world-class metallurgy and mechanical engineering knowledge will be harnessed in the collaboration, which is part of a strategy to build more reliable railways, while ensuring British Steel remains at the forefront of the sector, serving domestic and international markets. Installed across two sites at the university's Faculty of Engineering and British Steel's R&D facility at the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, the equipment will be used to test steel that can be used to build new and improved railway infrastructures.
"This partnership will help ensure British Steel continues to lead the way in developing and building the railways of the future. In a hugely competitive market, we're committed to enhancing our product range so we can keep meeting and exceeding the high standards operators and travellers rightly demand," said British Steel chief executive Ron Deelen. He added that the company is "well-placed to supply significant quantities of rail, and constructional steel, into major projects" and "deliver cost-effective solutions to the challenges our customers face."
British Steel will contribute £1.6 million including significant staff time and materials, matched on a 2:1 basis with England's Research Partnership Investment Fund.