British Steel’s Latest Chapter: A Turkish Train Line and a Renewed Fight for Survival

Every era of British Steel’s recent history has its defining story. In 2016, it was the sale to Greybull Capital. In 2019, collapse and insolvency. In 2020, Chinese ownership. In 2025, the attempted closure and government emergency intervention. Now, in 2026, a new chapter is being written: a major contract to supply rail for Turkey’s Ankara–İzmir high-speed railway, and a renewed fight for survival.
The eight-figure deal with ERG International Group — covering 36,000 tonnes of rail for the 599km line — has brought real, tangible change to the Scunthorpe plant. Twenty-three new jobs, round-the-clock production restarted after over a decade, and a prestigious international commission secured with UK Export Finance backing. For a plant that seemed on the brink not long ago, this is meaningful progress.
Turkey’s Ankara–İzmir railway is a flagship infrastructure project — high-speed, electric, and designed to cut travel times and carbon emissions. Supplying rail for it is a statement of commercial intent from British Steel, and it has been welcomed enthusiastically by UK Steel and other industry figures.
But the fight for survival continues. Daily losses of £1.2 million have produced a total government bill of £359 million since the emergency takeover. Permanent ownership has not been resolved. Energy cost disadvantages and import pressures continue to weigh on the plant’s financial performance.
This latest chapter in British Steel’s story is, at least, more hopeful than some of the previous ones. The Turkish deal is a real win, and it gives the plant’s supporters something concrete to point to. The renewed fight for survival may yet have a happy ending — but there are still many pages to go.