Recycling and reuse of railway track materials

LUDVIGH ESZTER / Civil engineer, Technologist / Swietelsky Vasúttechnika Kft.

Environmental protection and sustainability has been a leading aspect in our lives for years, no matter which market segment we consider. Regarding to building materials, special consideration should be given to whether their age or condition has reached a time when it has become unusable or is still possible to be reused. Depending on their age or condition, they may no longer be used with the same function, but can still be used as a building material, preferably on the same project. As rail component are designed for long life, they are very durable that results the possibility of this decisions. This means that instead of the linear economy that has been common for many years, there is a significant tendency to move towards a circular economy. Thus, this thinking not only enforces the environmental but also the economic aspects.

My presentation presents the possibilities of reusing and recycling the main railway materials, especially the typical Hungarian solutions and technologies of recent years.