In a novel attempt, Salem Division of Southern Railway will use plastic sleepers made out of recycled plastics on railway tracks for a part of Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) line.
Railway officials told The Hindu that 200 plastic sleepers, which were manufactured by a U.S-based firm, arrived at Coonoor Junction recently.
These would be used to replace the existing wooden sleepers on a bridge connecting Mettupalayam and Udhagamandalam in the NMR line. The works were expected to begin in a month.
Made out of recycled plastic waste, the plastic sleepers would last for nearly 40 years, the officials said. In comparison, a wooden sleeper would last only for about 10 years.
Being the first such initiative in Salem Division, more ‘green’ alternatives for replacement of the existing wooden sleepers would be pursued in the future, the officials said.
During the works, the damaged wooden sleepers would be discarded and those in good condition would be used in other railway tracks depending on the necessity, the railway officials said.