DB Cargo UK and British Steel have launched a campaign to transport 100-meter lengths of rail to Belgium. The first shipment of the giant steel rails left British Steel's Scunthorpe site on Friday 9 June for Muizen, a town north-east of Brussels. Belgium's infrastructure manager, Infrabel, will incorporate the robust steel rails into its ongoing programme of maintenance and renewal of the country's extensive rail network.
The complex transport process involved DB Cargo UK, the UK's main steel product hauler, handling the first leg of the journey from Scunthorpe to Calais. DB Cargo France, the company's French counterpart, expertly facilitated the second leg and delivered the rails to their final destination in Muizen.
The rails, measuring an impressive 100 meters in length, were securely transported on specialized IGA wagons spanning four wagons each. This meticulous planning and coordination ensured the safe and smooth passage of the exceptional load through DB Cargo UK's international depot at Dollands Moor, via the Channel Tunnel, and onward to Northern Europe. This transport campaign is expected to continue with one train per month for the next four years to meet customer demand.
Roger Neary, Chief Sales Officer of DB Cargo UK, affirmed DB Cargo UK's readiness to tackle the challenge of exporting such an extraordinary load on behalf of British Steel. “Great care and skill is required to ensure that the rails can navigate a safe and smooth passage down to our international depot Dollands Moor, through the Channel Tunnel and on to Northern Europe,” he emphasized.
