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

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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