Taking a train in France? Chances are your journey is being kept on track thanks to steel from Yorkshire.

Metal manufacturing giant Tata Steel has just secured a further two-year contract to keep French state rail operator SNCF moving with 200,000 tonnes of track, including specialist lengths of steel up to 108 metres long.

France’s rail network kept moving thanks to Tata Steel

The track will be created using steel from the Scunthorpe steelworks, which is shipped to Tata Steel’s Hayange plant in Northern France, a specialist mill and heat treatment facility capable of rolling the high-wear, extra-long lengths of steel needed by SNCF and other European customers, following a €35m investment by Tata Steel.

Tata Steel’s first-class service for French train operator SNCF

The heat-treated track produced at the Hayange mill, which can treat up to 125,000 tonnes of steel a year, can last up to three times longer than standard rail when under high-wear conditions – giving the SNCF network enhanced performance and reduced rail replacement costs.

The contract will see Tata Steel supply the majority of track needed by SNCF, which operates almost all the rail network in France, including the high-speed TGV service.