This month, we’re celebrating 2 big milestones for our High-Performance rail, HP335. Not only has our premium rail turned a decade old, but we’ve also sold more than 100,000 tonnes of it – enough to build a direct track from where it’s made in Scunthorpe straight to Oslo in Norway!
The first HP335 rail, or HPrail® as it was then known, was installed in Bessy Gill, UK, back in August 2010. We had been working closely with Network Rail to develop a rail that would combat the issues of rolling contact fatigue and wear.
When this new microstructurally engineered rail with uniform through-hardness proved favourable in laboratory tests, it was installed on a number of trial sites across the UK.
Key Account Manager John Austin said: “Its performance in-track demonstrated longer rail life and lower life cycle costs due to reduced grinding frequency – in some cases of up to 60% – when compared to standard grade rails, and this led to Network Rail’s full product approval of HP335 in 2012.”
Since then, it’s been installed in light rail, mainline and heavy haul applications throughout the UK and Ireland.
John said: “HP335’s high performance continues to delight our customers with extended rail life and fewer track maintenance requirements and is now the premium rail of choice in the UK mainline network.”
Happy birthday HP335 – here’s to the next 10 years!