Composites for alternative railway sleepers

Approximately 200 million timber sleepers are currently being used in rail networks around the world due to their availability, affordability and dependability. It is estimated that nearly 90% of the existing timber sleepers will need replacement by 2030. Recently, increasing costs, declining quality, hardwood timber scarcity and environmental sensitivity has challenged the continuing use of timber sleepers in rail track. Consequently, the Australian rail industry is now looking an alternative materials to replace existing timber sleepers and it is projected that in next five years they will move from a traditional timber-based system (15 years lifespan) to that of an engineered composites system (at least 50 years lifespan). This paper critically reviewed the recent development of composite sleepers, identified the potential issues and provided guidelines to overcome the challenges.