The initiative, led by Sweden’s transport agency Trafikverket, introduces a closed-loop model in which worn-out rails from the Swedish network are processed and reused for railway infrastructure.
The first delivery of 1,000 tonnes of used rails reached the Polish site in July 2025. A second shipment of 1,500 tonnes is currently underway. The rails are initially cut into shorter lengths in Hallstahammar, then transported by rail to Ystad and shipped to Poland by ferry.
ArcelorMittal Poland has supplied Trafikverket with rails since 2022. Under the current recycling initiative, ArcelorMittal will process the old rails at its Dąbrowa Górnicza facility, using electric arc furnaces powered by renewable electricity. This process recycles the high-quality steel from the Swedish tracks into new rail products, which can be returned to Trafikverket for further use.
The cooperation involves multiple parties including ArcelorMittal Recycling Poland and ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products. By linking disassembly in Sweden with production in Poland, the project integrates several stages of the steel supply chain into a circular model that avoids the conventional scrap-export route.
According to the companies involved, the scheme supports both resource recovery and the reduction of environmental impact in rail infrastructure projects. The use of recycled material as feedstock for rail production is seen as a method to manage raw material supply and mitigate carbon output.
Trafikverket intends to expand the project beyond this initial pilot phase, as part of its broader sustainability programme.
