Sekisui has opened its first synthetic railway sleeper factory in Europe

On the 5th of October, Japanese company SEKISUI opened its first European production plant for synthetic railway sleepers made of fibre-reinforced foam polyurethane (FFU) in Roermond, the Netherlands. FFU sleepers have the same benefits as sleepers made of wood, but are much more durable, while at the same time being lighter than sleepers made of other materials. Development of the product began in 1974. By now, FFU railway sleepers have a demonstrated lifespan of more than 40 years.

Sekisui’s FFU railway sleepers were first installed in Europe in 2004, in Vienna’s underground system, which is operated by Wiener Linien. Since then, Sekisui has gradually expanded its presence in Europe’s railway market. Until recently, the company only manufactured its products in Japan. The new factory in Roermond was built to be able to serve the company’s European clients more efficiently and reduce delivery times.

The new facility will be able to produce up to 100,000 railway sleepers annually, and has potential for further growth. It will almost double Sekisui’s production capacity. Construction began in mid-2020, and the facility was completed earlier this year, at a price of €50 million.

The new factory, with a floor area of 4,400 m², is situated next to a nature reserve, which means that it must be operated in accordance with the most stringent environmental standards. The new railway sleeper factory is fully electricity-powered and can be operational 24/7.

‘Europe has become a major market, and we expect demand to increase, both here and from major railway operators in Germany and Great Britain,’ says Mr Koji Yamaguchi, managing director of Sekisui Chemicals’ German subsidiary.

‘For this reason, we are very happy to be opening our new production facility in Roermond, at the heart of Europe.’

‘We are very proud to have opened such an innovative and future-oriented production facility here in Roermond,’ says Mr Paul Koopman, managing director of the new factory.

‘The new factory will allow us to deliver high-quality FFU railway sleepers to clients in Europe faster than ever.’