The Lithuanian railway group LTG is accelerating the removal of old creosote-impregnated wooden sleepers after its infrastructure company, LTG Infra, signed contracts totaling EUR 900,000 for the management of this hazardous waste. The three-year contracts cover the treatment of up to 5,000 tons of old sleepers.
The company says the decision marks a broader approach, in which railway infrastructure is viewed not only through the lens of technical operation but also of its entire life cycle, from installation to the safe disposal of materials that have reached the end of their useful life.
Wooden sleepers are no longer used in current operations
LTG notes that wooden sleepers are no longer used in the group’s infrastructure operations. Instead, the company says it is gradually transitioning to more modern and environmentally safe solutions.
The new contracts therefore do not concern current projects, but rather what the company calls a “historical legacy”—old stocks of creosote-impregnated sleepers that must be disposed of responsibly. According to LTG, this approach should enable a systematic reduction in the quantities of hazardous waste accumulated in the past and limit the long-term impact on the environment.
“Decisions made within the LTG Group must create value not only for the present but also be sustainable throughout their entire lifecycle. That is why responsible waste management is an integral part of the LTG Group’s strategy. The signed contracts ensure that hazardous waste will be handled professionally and responsibly, significantly reducing its impact on nature and human health,” said Vytis Žalimas, director of LTG Infra.
Three-year contracts with two companies
The contracts were signed with the companies Žalvaris and Sanresa. Their total value amounts to EUR 900,000, and the implementation period is three years.
During this period, LTG estimates that up to 5,000 tons of wooden ties will be processed.
The company emphasizes that the volume of removed sleepers has grown steadily in recent years: According to LTG, the new contracts should help manage ever-increasing volumes, reduce storage needs, and maintain a smoother process for treating hazardous waste.
in 2024, 1,925 tons were processed;
in 2025, 2,880 tons were processed;
by early 2026, approximately 120 tons had already been disposed of.
Pilot Project with Composite Sleepers
In parallel with the removal of the old wooden sleepers, the Lithuanian group says it also carried out a pilot project to test, for the first time in Lithuania’s railway infrastructure, composite sleepers manufactured in Germany.
These were installed in locations such as bridges, where heavy reinforced concrete sleepers cannot be used. LTG says that the new composite sleepers are lighter, have a long service life, better absorb shocks and vibrations, withstand temperature fluctuations, and are made from recycled materials.
For this reason, the company presents them as a much more sustainable alternative to old wooden sleepers.
Why they are considered dangerous
Wooden railroad sleepers are impregnated with creosote, a complex chemical mixture containing over 200 components, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phenolic, and heterocyclic compounds.
These substances are classified as strongly carcinogenic, which is why used sleepers are treated as hazardous waste and must be disposed of under strict conditions, in accordance with environmental regulations.
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