Rail plant on track to be world beater
A NEW £130-million rail' service centre has helped lift some of the gloom on the Scunthorpe Corus steelworks after proving a world-beater.
First, employees set an all-time record by producing 205 rails in a 24-hour period – getting Scunthorpe on the right tracks to supplying a world market for the next 12 to 18 months
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LONGER LENGTHS: The rail centre will start supplying export customers with 36-metre rail lengths from the end of next month.
Then Corus chiefs revealed the company was pressing ahead with a further expansion of the centre at a cost of £2 million – and even bigger investments could be on the cards.
The latest investment to meet with a booming export market will see a new plant built for processing and stocking rails measuring 36 metres in length and holding harder rails for the welding plant in-feed.
Delighted Corus chiefs say the centre is one of the few areas of activity on the 2,000 acre site which continues to show stable demand and even growth opportunities.
Nick Bates, the centre manager, said: "The investment will increase our chances of winning other new exports orders we are chasing over the next few months."
The centre will start supplying export customers with 36-metre rail lengths from the end of next month and the company believes the £2 million investment will pay for itself in less than a year.
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4 Comments
by Toon exile, Scunthorpe
Friday, January 02 2009, 3:47PM
“I'd just like to congratulate the Telegraph and their news reporters on having something positive to mention about Corus and the Scunthorpe site. It seems like we have been on a doom and gloom campaign for the past couple of months. While I acknowledge, the industry is under threat, morale among staff has not been helped by scaremongering and exaggerated reports by the Telegraph news reporters. This has caused frustration among staff and many believe, any tenuous link to steel is linked in a negative way to the Corus Scunthorpe site. However, congratulations are focusing on a major development in terms of Rail, which should put Corus at the forefront of export orders in what is difficult times.
Fair play and here's to more good news around the corner!!
I've worked around the country with Corus and speculation follows the job around, but please represent your readers with a fair and balanced view.”
by Arthur Prendergast, Scunny
Thursday, January 01 2009, 8:26PM
“Amazing isn't it, just one idiot comment?
A Corus success story and the doom merchants are missing!”
by Richard Head, Barton
Thursday, January 01 2009, 2:04PM
“*wife”
by Mark, Plate Mill
Thursday, January 01 2009, 11:27AM
“The Corus Scunthorpe steelworks are all world beaters.”