Network
Rail


was
prepared
for
disruption
affecting
steel
production,
it
has
emerged,
after
a
weekend
in
which
Parliament
passed
a
Bill
allowing
the
government
to
take
control
of
the
British
Steel
works
in
Scunthorpe.

Because
it
was
not
clear
whether
the
Chinese
owners
of
the
Scunthorpe
works
would
allow
the
two
blast
furnaces
to
continue
production,
Network
Rail
built
up
an
emergency
stock
of
rails,
which
would
meet
its
needs
for
the
coming
year.

More
than
80
per
cent
of
the
rails
bought
by
Network
Rail
come
from
Scunthorpe,
and
the
stocks
now
in
store
at
various
depots
around
the
country
would
give
Network
Rail
time
to
find
new
suppliers
if
Scunthorpe
did
close.

This
seems
less
likely
after
business
secretary
Jonathan
Reynolds
was
able
to
direct
British
Steel
to
buy
the
raw
materials
needed
to
maintain
production.

In
the
longer
term
rails
could
be
produced
using
electric
arc
furnaces
which
do
not
rely
on
coal,
although
the
changeover
could
take
several
years
and
production
would
need
to
be
controlled
tightly
to
avoid
impurities
in
the
steel.

Network
Rail
has
already
tested
rails
produced
in
an
electric
arc
furnace.

It
said:
‘We
do
not
expect
the
announcement
to
have
any
impact
on
the
continued
delivery
of
reliable
rail
services
for
passengers
and
freight
users.
We
are
continuing
to
work
with
government
and
our
suppliers,
and
we
have
comprehensive
contingency
plans
to
ensure
the
continued
supply
of
rail
needed
to
fulfil
our
operational
needs.’

A
new
centre
for
storing
newly-manufactured
lengths
of
rail
was
opened
by
British
Steel
in
Scunthorpe
last
November,
to
ensure
continuity
of
supply
for
Network
Rail.

The
new
hub
can
hold
around
25,000
tonnes
of
rails,
and
has
11
multi-gantry
hoists
to
lift
the
finished
rails
on
to
wagons.

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