Nouslife: Recycling plastic to help trains

07 May 2007

Recycling plastic to help trains

Apparently already used in India ...

UK company Micron, which makes sleepers from waste polystyrene and polyethylene, has already approached UK rail track operator Network Rail with the aim of forming a partnership. Polystyrene is commonly used in disposable coffee cups, and polyethylene is more likely to be seen hanging from trees in the form of carrier bags. But the longevity of this plastic means that railway sleepers made using it can potentially last for centuries. This compares to a few decades for sleepers made from wood or concrete. ... Stress tests have demonstrated that the plastic sleepers are at least as strong as concrete sleepers. With the costs of maintaining the railway and underground systems spiraling, plastic sleepers therefore offer an affordable alternative ... London Underground have considered using plastic sleepers in the past, but with old technologies, fire safety was an issue. This is no longer the case, however, as the new sleepers benefit from a high-tech fire retardant created to protect ammunition boxes for the US army. ...