Infrabel is taking a significant step towards a greener railway industry with the purchase of environmentally friendly rails. These "green rails" are manufactured using a process that produces up to 70% less CO2 emissions than conventional methods.
In a public contract worth €200 million, Infrabel has selected Saarstahl Rail and its French production facilities to supply these rails. The manufacturing process uses electric furnaces instead of coal blast furnaces and recycled raw materials, resulting in a significant reduction in carbon emissions without compromising the strength of the rails and competitive pricing.
The introduction of these "green rails” on the Belgian railway network will begin in the coming months. They will be indistinguishable from the existing rails, sharing the same characteristics in terms of appearance, weight, and durability. The rails will be transported in short sections within international railway convoys to Schaerbeek, where they will be assembled using advanced welding technology in Infrabel's workshop, creating 300-meter-long welded rails ready for installation. Over the next four years, Saarstahl Rail will supply up to 2,800 km of these "green rails" to Infrabel, resulting in a reduction of approximately 224,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. This reduction is equivalent to the annual carbon footprint of 9,000 average households.
"The train is already the most sustainable means of transport, but we can improve it even further, namely by reducing the carbon footprint of the rail infrastructure. Thanks to its new management contract, Infrabel now has the means to realize its ambitions. And what Saarstahl's innovative solution demonstrates, is that the environmentally friendly and circular approach can also be the most cost-effective,” said Georges Gilkinet, Federal Minister of Mobility.
