Nottinghamshire-based Worksop Galvanizing Ltd (www.wedge-galv.co.uk) has reached a significant milestone as part of its work on one of the largest rail projects in the UK; it is playing a key role in the programme to upgrade the Midland Main Line, which runs from London to Sheffield.

Commercial manager Paul Robinson said: “The upgrade programme on the Midland Main Line is a massive scheme that also
includes the electrification of the line from London to Corby, with plans to extend further north.

"For more than a year, we’ve been galvanizing huge sections of steelwork that will support the new cables and have now reached a figure of 3,000 tonnes.

"It’s a significant project that’s still on-going, and I believe we are only roughly halfway through.

"We have some of the best facilities in the UK, including the largest acid bath in the country, and that means we can turn round projects like this very quickly.”

Network Rail’s £500 million-plus upgrade and electrification programme is designed to reduce journey times and increase passenger capacity on the line.

It includes erecting 6,000 main steel components to support the overhead line equipment, and the current focus is on the section running from Bedford to Corby.

Jim Hatherley, head of rail at Adey Steel, which is supplying the supporting infrastructure, said: “The vast majority of steelwork for rail projects is galvanized, as this process massively extends the life expectancy of structures and ensures that maintenance is minimised.

"We’ve provided around 95% of the main steel for the Bedford to Corby section of the upgrade since it started in November 2017, and the majority of that has gone through Worksop Galvanizing.”