EUROPE: A novel self-levelling railway sleeper designed to tackle problems relating to transition zones has been developed and tested by researchers at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, working with colleagues at the University of Leeds and across Europe. The researchers believe the self-levelling sleeper could reduce maintenance work, cut costs, improve passenger comfort and lower the environmental footprint of conventional trackforms at transition zones where stiffness changes abruptly, such as when an embankment meets a bridge or tunnel.. The recycled plastic sleeper has been tested at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, which is home to the UK’s largest purpose-built laboratory trackbed. Self-adjusting designThe research team has been developing the self-levelling sleeper design for four years to reach the laboratory testing stage. This could be a real step-change in how we look after transition zones.