A rail coating devised by experts at British Steel to prevent corrosion on railway lines is proving effective as demonstrated in recent inspections.

In one particular case in the north of England, corrosion-resistant Zinoco® has been used to protect rails in a highly corrosive environment. And the early results make extremely encouraging reading.

Over time, unprotected steel experiences corrosion when exposed to wet and damp conditions, particularly those containing salt. Such conditions are common operating environments for steel rails. For example, tunnels, coastal routes, and level crossings.

However, Zinoco® provides a protective coating to the rail which guards the steel against corrosive attack. It has been specially designed to be much more resistant to damage with tests proving it can be six times more resistant to impact and five times more resistant to abrasion.

Zinoco®, which was launched in 2016, was first installed at the location in January 2023 following an inspection where significant historic corrosion issues were identified.

Stephen Lewis, Rail Technologies Manager, said: “Overall, the Zinoco® rail installed at this location in the north of England is performing well. The coating is still intact and there are no signs of corrosion 12 months after installation.