A contract worth tens of millions of pounds will see British Steel supply the rail for one of Turkey’s most environmentally ambitious transport projects — a high-speed electric line stretching 599km from Ankara to İzmir. The agreement with ERG International Group, described as an “eight-figure deal,” positions Scunthorpe-made steel at the heart of Turkey’s green infrastructure revolution.
Electric high-speed rail is increasingly seen as a cornerstone of decarbonising transport systems worldwide, and Turkey’s Ankara–İzmir line is a prime example of this trend. By winning the contract to supply rail for this project, British Steel has demonstrated its capacity to serve the fast-growing market for sustainable transport infrastructure at an international level.
Back in Scunthorpe, the effects have been immediate. Twenty-three new jobs have been created, and the plant has returned to 24-hour production — something not seen in over ten years. The resumption of continuous manufacturing signals a meaningful increase in operational tempo at a site that has spent much of the past year in a state of uncertainty.
UK Export Finance supported the transaction, and the wider steel industry has praised the deal as a demonstration of British Steel’s world-class capability. UK Steel called on the government to build on this momentum by addressing the structural cost disadvantages that make it harder for UK steelmakers to compete internationally, including persistently high energy prices.
Despite the good news, British Steel’s financial difficulties have not gone away. The plant is losing £1.2 million daily, with cumulative government costs since the emergency takeover reaching £359 million. This contract is a step forward, but industry watchers say it will take far more than a single deal to put British Steel on a genuinely sustainable footing.