New life for railway sleepers

23 July 2013

Railway sleepers used for footpath conservation in North Tyneside.
Nexus, which owns, manages and is modernising Metro, is putting used railway sleepers to good use in North Tyneside.
Nexus, which is carrying out the £385M 'Metro: all change' modernisation programme, is donating dozens of used railway sleepers to North Tyneside Council for the conservation of local public footpaths. The railway sleepers were removed from the Metro lines when six kilometres of track was replaced between Byker and Tynemouth during the 23-day major line closure earlier this year. The timber railway sleepers are now being given a new lease of life in the borough’s foot and bridleway bridges, as the local authority carries out ongoing repairs to paths.

The first footbridge to undergo work was in Earsdon, following damage sustained during last winter’s bad weather. The bridge has also been widened to two metres and can now accommodate horse riders on a popular route to Holywell Dene and the recently opened Fenwick Eccles site.

Nexus Head of Rail Infrastructure Engineering, Phil Kirkland, said: “This is a great way to recycle the used railway sleepers from the Metro line replacement work. “The railway sleepers are ideal for strengthening public footpaths. We’re pleased we’ve been able to find such an environmentally friendly use for them.”

Cllr Ed Hodson, cabinet member for Transport and the Green Environment, said: “We are delighted that Nexus has donated some of their railway sleepers for us to reuse, which will save more than 10 per cent of the cost of repairing foot and bridleway bridges. “Reusing the old railway sleepers will deliver local environmental improvements while ensuring value for money.”