Staying on Track: NATCEM® is Right for Rail

Britain’s rail infrastructure is a feat of Victorian engineering that still serves millions today. But with over 40,000 bridges and furthermore, tunnels—many of them over a century old—there’s constant pressure to maintain, upgrade, and futureproof the network. However, it’s not just about heritage. These structures are critical lifelines, and moreover any downtime can have national-level consequences.

That’s where we come in.

At Natural Cement, our range of rapid-setting, as well as environmentally friendly mortars and shotcretes have proven time and time again that they can rise to the challenge—particularly when timeframes are tight, access is difficult, and sustainability matters.

Furthermore, rail work often means working under strict possession windows, sometimes just a few hours overnight. That’s exactly why products like NATCEM® 35 as well as Shotcrete 430F are trusted across the UK network—they cure fast, gain strength rapidly, and allow other works to resume in record time.

Take our work with Fineturret Ltd at Wilpshire Rail Tunnel, where very limited possession time meant that the contractors needed a shotcrete that could act in minutes and hours to maintain this section of rail infrastructure, not days.

Natural Cement products work where others fail—whether it’s freezing temperatures, running water, or limited ventilation.

With <5% rebound, low dusting, and no need for chemical accelerators, our shotcretes also reduce waste, improve site safety, and minimise disruption—especially in confined spaces.

The Sugar Loaf Tunnel project is a great example of how our materials hold up. Even years later, the repairs remain structurally sound, watertight, and maintenance-free. That kind of long-term performance is what infrastructure clients—and taxpayers—expect.

What sets Natural Cement apart isn’t just how well our products perform—it’s how safely as well as sustainably they do it.

All our materials are:

• Made with Natural Cement binder—an argillaceous limestone that sets with water alone

• Free from resins, polymers, and other chemical additives

• Classified as non-hazardous and non-contaminated waste

So whether you’re stabilising a heritage tunnel in the Peak District, relining culverts in flood-prone areas, or retrofitting assets to meet modern standards, our materials help you do it faster, safer, and greener – a fact recognised by the London Underground and those responsible for the maintenance and improvement of it – who use Natural Cement extensively in their work.