Sir - The letter by Mr Clive Budge in RG 5.00 p282 raises concerns about the use of steel sleepers. Having been involved with design, construction and maintenance of track in Australia, and especially in the use of steel sleepers, for the past 20 years, I would like to share my personal experience.
Modern steel sleepers have been in use in Australia for over 20 years, and their use has dramatically increased in the past 10. At present around 500000 steel sleepers are being installed annually. I estimate that there are over six million steel sleepers installed in Australian tracks, of which about five million have been laid since 1987.
A number of factors have contributed to this growth. They include:
