We have joined forces with Strukton Rail Netherlands and our sister company voestalpine Turnout Technology Netherlands to promote circularity and reuse in the railway world. The partnership with Strukton seeks to contribute to the ambitious circularity targets in the rail infrastructure, and recently resulted in the reuse of multiple turnouts near Leeuwarden. A total of 18 redundant turnouts from projects in Zeeland and Delft-Rijswijk will be refurbished and made suitable for reuse in the North of the Netherlands.
Products and systems that qualify for reuse must meet strict criteria. “ProRail has drawn up stringent guidelines for this,” says Herbert Bokkers, Key Account manager. We meticulously restore redundant turnouts and ensure they comply with the current regulations. “It goes without saying that safety always comes first. Parts and or components that do not meet the requirements can sometimes still be used for industrial areas or private tracks, or serve as raw material for other purposes.”
Breathing new life into redundant turnouts contributes to the circularity goals within the railway world. “Reusing (and refurbishing) products saves raw materials. But it also saves energy – after all, there is little or no need to produce new raw materials. This reduces emissions of harmful substances such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide,” Herbert explains.
Martijn van de Water, Team Leader Procurement Projects at Strukton Rail, mentions there are several reasons why Strukton Rail and voestalpine are collaborating intensively on circularity at this very moment: “ProRail is changing the procurement of railway infrastructure projects from linear to circular. Within this strategy, we see reuse as a solution with which we can quickly make big steps in this transition.” Martijn also mentions an additional benefit: “Globally, we are witnessing the depletion of raw material stocks. This creates scarcity and, as a result, prices rise. By reusing materials, we as a sector can reduce our reliance on scarce resources.”
The partnership between the parties has already led to innovative and sustainable solutions, and we look forward to continuing this.
Would you like more information about our circular railway projects? Visit our reuse webshop and find out how you can make an impact too! Or contact Dominique Martens, Manager Sales, or Herbert Bokkers, Key Account Manager.