DB Cargo to refurbish 60 wagons for Tata Steel

Photo: DB Cargo UK

DB Cargo UK and its sister company DB Cargo Polska are undertaking a contract to breathe new life into 60 BAA wagons for Tata Steel. The refurbished wagons, which will be capable of carrying steel slab and/or coil, are essential to support Tata Steel’s £1.25 billion transition in the UK from traditional iron and steel production to the use of cleaner and ‘greener’ electric arc furnace technology.

DB Polska is currently manufacturing new 40ft wagon frames for the BAAs at its ‘state of the art’ engineering facility in Rybnik, Poland, which are then being sent to the UK for final fitting, assembly and testing at DB Cargo UK’s wagon maintenance facility in Stoke. The first of the wagons has already bee delivered and entered service in February 2025.

DB Cargo UK’s chief sales officer Roger Neary said the collaboration with DB Cargo Polska was playing a pivotal role in meeting Tata Steel’s changing demands of rail freight. He added: “This innovative project underlines the positive benefits of being part of DB Cargo’s large international network of companies and we are delighted to be working with DB Cargo Polska on such an important project.

“Tata Steel is one of our largest UK customers, which is going through major change to further improve its long-term sustainability as well as its environmental and economic performance. DB Cargo UK is an integral and important part of Tata Steel’s supply chain, and the delivery of these new wagons will play a pivotal role in its smooth transition to green steel production.”

Green steelmaking
Tata Steel recently unveiled plans to transform its UK business into a world-leading centre for green steelmaking. Its £1.25 billion investment in electric arc furnace steelmaking and upgrades to the Port Talbot site in Wales will transform the industry and underpin the manufacturing sector for decades to come.

Following the closure and decommissioning of its traditional iron and steelmaking assets, Tata Steel is now importing steel slab and coil, which will be processed for customers through its existing rolling, coating or tube-making lines. The new BAA wagons will transport the slab from local ports to Port Talbot and can be converted to transport feedstock for the new electric arc furnace when it starts production.

Kerys Twinberrow, deployment operations manager at Tata Steel UK, said: “This current transition phase of our operations is absolutely critical in maintaining service to our customers and maintaining confidence in supply. It is therefore important for us to have trusted partners who are also willing to invest in the long-term support of UK manufacturing. This collaborative wagon refurbishment programme is exactly the sort of joined-up thinking that will ensure both companies’ success.”