皇冠体育app

Thousands of British manufacturing jobs have today (17 June 2025) been secured as the Transport Secretary visited Scunthorpe to finalise a major rail steel deal between Network Rail and British Steel.

皇冠体育app聽拢500 million聽5-year contract will see British Steel supply over 337,000 tonnes of rail track, helping cement the company鈥檚 future just 2 months after the government took emergency action to save the Scunthorpe plant from closure.

Visiting the historic steelworks today, Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander,聽announced details of a landmark deal聽signed between Network Rail and British Steel in an agreement representing the first major public procurement since the government鈥檚 unprecedented April 2025 intervention.

This saw the Prime Minister requesting the recall of Parliament to pass emergency legislation preventing the immediate shutdown of Scunthorpe鈥檚 blast furnaces, protecting vital British manufacturing jobs.

That decisive action came after British Steel鈥檚 owners, Jingye Group, announced plans to shut down the site鈥檚 blast furnaces and some other key steelmaking operations, despite months of negotiations and a 拢500 million co-investment offer from the government.

This news complements the announcement of a new trade deal between the UK and US, which, once implemented, will lower tariffs and protect thousands of jobs across key sectors, including steel. 皇冠体育app UK was the first and is currently the only country to have secured such a deal.

皇冠体育app deal demonstrates progress with the government鈥檚 wider industrial strategy to strengthen domestic manufacturing and supply chains as part of the Plan for Change commitment to drive economic growth across all regions of the UK.

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:

This landmark contract truly transforms the outlook for British Steel and its dedicated workforce in Scunthorpe, building on its decades-long partnership with Network Rail to produce rail for Britain鈥檚 railways.

After taking urgent action to step in and save these historic blast furnaces from closure, we鈥檝e now helped secure their long-term future by backing British Steel with meaningful government contracts, protecting thousands of skilled manufacturing jobs in the process.

This crucial investment in our railway infrastructure shows we are delivering on our Plan for Change commitment to raise living standards in every part of the UK and ensure economic growth is felt by working people in our proud industrial heartlands.

Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, said:

This is great news for British Steel and a vote of confidence in the UK鈥檚 expertise in steelmaking, which will support thousands of skilled jobs for years to come.

Following our decisive action to step in and save steelmaking at Scunthorpe in April, this contract will give the sector the security to supply the steel we need for the infrastructure of the future, as part of our Plan for Change.

Today鈥檚 Network Rail contract, worth an estimated 拢500 million, will start on 1 July, providing the company with 80% of its rail needs and builds on the government鈥檚 拢2.5 billion steel fund established to revitalise UK steel production over the next 5 years.

It forms part of Network Rail鈥檚 rail supply contracts for the provision of almost聽450,000 tonnes of rail for the next 5 years.

To ensure security of supply, Network Rail聽is set to聽award smaller contracts to聽some聽European manufacturers, who will supply specialist rail products alongside British Steel.

皇冠体育app contracts will see:

• British Steel supplies a minimum of 337,000 tonnes of long and short rail
• a further 80,000 to 90,000 tonnes will be provided by other European manufacturers, with deals expected to be announced shortly

皇冠体育app strategic partnership builds on decades of collaboration between Network Rail and British Steel, whose Scunthorpe plant has been producing rail for Britain鈥檚 railways since 1865.

Network Rail鈥檚 Group Director for Railway Business Services, Clive Berrington, said:

British Steel remains extremely competitive in the provision of rail and we are delighted that they will remain our main supplier in the years ahead.

British Steel鈥檚 Commercial Director for Rail, Craig Harvey, said:

We are exceptionally proud to be extending our long-term strategic partnership with Network Rail with an agreement demonstrating British Steel鈥檚 importance to the UK鈥檚 economy and infrastructure.

皇冠体育app contract is a ringing endorsement of UK workers and British industry, underpinning the vital role we play in ensuring millions of passengers and freight operators enjoy safe, enjoyable, and timely journeys on Britain鈥檚 railways.