British Steel launches revolutionary new rail product

British Steel, the UK-based manufacturer of premium steel products, has launched a revolutionary new rail product which can withstand the rigours of being laid in some of the most corrosive of environments.

The new product, Zinoco, is a premium coated rail that can be installed in harsh environments where corrosion is expected to be the main cause of future rail replacement such as coastal lines, wet tunnels, level crossings, mineral lines and salt pans. Zinoco, the name of which derives from the words ‘Zinc for no corrosion’, offers superior corrosion protection compared to all current rail coating technologies on the market.

British Steel’s Rail Sector Head, Richard Bell, said the product was developed at the business’s headquarters in Scunthorpe and that extensive testing shows Zinoco will typically outlast traditional uncoated rail by around five times in a broad range of aggressive environments. “This is an exciting time for British Steel and Zinoco is a great example of our innovation and development of premium products for the global market place. Our highly-skilled employees create and manufacture world class steel every day and we are proud of the response Zinoco has already received.”

Richard said it was developed by British Steel in direct response to Network Rail’s requirement
for more durable corrosion protection. Network Rail called for a coating that would withstand the rigours of real-life installation and use. He said: “We have developed Zinoco® to dramatically delay the onset of corrosion of rail in the broadest range of railway conditions.”