A premium track innovation from British Steel’s Rail team has picked up the award for Most Interesting New Product at the Rail Exec Gala.
Zinoco® - British Steel’s corrosion-resistant rail – was developed in response to Network Rail’s request for more durable corrosion protection to withstand the rigours of real-life installation and use.
Daniel Pyke, Rail Product Marketing Manager, said: “Under the right conditions, steel rails can rot remarkably quickly. Common ‘rot spots’ are level crossings, where the crossing panels trap moisture, road salt and other detritus making a potent, corrosive cocktail. In some locations, rail life is counted in months rather than decades, so the need for corrosion-protected rails in these areas is very clear.”
The Rail Exec Gala networking dinner, featuring the Most Interesting Awards, is organised by Rail Media. The annual event, which was this year held at The Roundhouse in Derby on 1 December, recognises projects and initiatives from the previous 12 months that have sparked the collective imagination of the industry.
Entries were chosen by the editorial teams at RailStaff and Rail Engineer and then judged by a panel of industry experts.
Network Rail Chief Engineer Jon Shaw, who hosted the awards said: “This award is for a product in the rail business or railway engineering, which has been developed or brought to market and has made a real difference.
“A new product can be anything from a widget that save millions of pounds each year to a new train, that drives heightened efficiency. By designing new products, we keep the industry moving forward, continuing to evolve and keeping up with the changing times.”
The Rail Exec Gala was sponsored by Ford & Stanley, Bombardier, Rhomberg Sersa and Balfour Beatty.
Lianne O’Connor, Director, Rail Media, found the shortlisting of nominations wasn’t an easy task. She said: “2016 has been a busy year for the rail industry.
“We are consistently amazed by the great work that you all do. You’re the lifeblood of this industry, keeping the UK moving and innovating for our future. Well done to all the finalists.”
The Rail team’s success follows their Most Interesting New Product win for HP335 high performance rail last year, when the company was then Tata Steel.