Network Rail earmarks Black Country for new sleeper factory

A railway siding in the Black Country has been earmarked for a new factory which could create up to 100 jobs for the area.

Network Rail plans to use the factory to produce concrete sleepers to supply the mainland rail network.

It has identified a site in Bescot, between Walsall and Sandwell, as the location for the new factory.

Network Rail said the scheme would ensure Bescot remained a key location on the national railway map. Due to its central location, the factory will be capable of supplying the whole of the country.

The organisation said sleepers were a vital part of the railway, and if approved, the new facility would produce up to 600,000 of them a year, accounting for 60% of Britain’s supply. Network Rail’s other factory in Doncaster will provide the remaining 40%.

Network Rail said that as part of its ongoing commitment to be more efficient and cost-effective, the proposed site at Bescot would be directly connected to the rail network making it quicker and easier to transport the sleepers around Britain.

Martin Frobisher, route managing director of Network Rail’s London and North Western route said: “Network Rail remains committed to the West Midlands economy which is why Bescot has been identified as our preferred location for the new factory that will retain the bulk of our sleeper manufacturing presence in the region.

“Bescot is ideally placed at the heart of the rail network to provide sleepers across Britain. We are in discussion with the local council to carry out an environmental assessment of the proposed factory and its impact on the surrounding area before we fully consult with local people and stakeholders on our plans.”

The 15-year contract to manufacture the railway sleepers will be awarded by Network Rail later in the spring.