The use of aggregates with high abrasion resistance is key to guaranteeing a good track performance over time; however, obtaining these high-quality aggregates is not always feasible at a reasonable cost. Because of this, the creation of new alternatives with lower life cycle costs and lower environmental impacts, such as steel furnace slag-rail (SFS-Rail), is fundamental for the economic and environmental sustainability of the railway infrastructure. SFS-Rail is made of recycled aggregates from electric arc furnace slag aimed to be used in subgrade and subballast layers as it offers excellent physical and mechanical properties. In this paper, a worldwide review of the state-of-the-art experiences and legislation in using ferrous slag in railway applications is carried out. Next, an introduction of SFS-Rail and their main benefits in terms of track performance and environmental sustainability is presented, based on both laboratory tests and a life cycle assessment. Results from laboratory tests are compared to those of the existing European norms regulating the use of aggregates in track bed layers to prove their suitability. Finally, the field tests in the Spanish infrastructure manager (Admin-istrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias, ADIF) network and the monitoring equipment and techniques used to assess the track performance are described, while the main results obtained are discussed.
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