Sika and Partners Win Technical Innovation of the Year Award for Transforming Embedded Rail Renewal

Sika, together with project partners VolkerRail Ltd, London Trams, AtkinsRéalis and NTB, has won the Technical Innovation of the Year Award at the GlobalLight Rail Awards 2026 for a pioneering approach to embedded rail renewal.

The award-winning solution was successfully deployed during the Sandilands Embedded Crossover Renewal on the London Trams network in Croydon/UK. At its heart is Sika® Icosit® KC 350/45, a next-generation polyurethane rail grout developed by Sika using its proprietary Curing by Design technology. The project introduced a world-first machine application method, replacing traditional labor-intensive practices with a faster, safer, and more sustainable process.

Combining rapid-curing material technology with automated, controlled application delivers significant time savings. Mixing and installation time fell from approximately 45 hours to 11 hours, while curing time was reduced from around 24 hours to approximately two - four hours, enabling a significantly faster return to service.

The approach also delivered measurable environmental and operational benefits. Material waste fell from the 10-20% typically associated with conventional installation to less than 5%. Recyclable 200-liter drums replaced hundreds of smaller containers, reducing packaging waste and manual handling. The resilient polymer system also reduces vibration and secondary noise, supporting passenger comfort and helping to extend the service life of the rail infrastructure.

The solution offers important long-term maintenance benefits. During future renewals, hydro-blasting can remove the encapsulated rail without destructive concrete breakout. This allows more of the surrounding infrastructure to be retained, reducing demolition, disruption, and waste.

The award reflects collaboration across the rail value chain, bringing together the operator, designer, contractor and materials specialists to challenge established practices and deliver a smarter approach for the light rail sector.

Sam Allen, Divisional Director of Urban Transit & Rail Projects at VolkerRail, said: "Through collaboration, engineering excellence and a willingness to challenge traditional delivery methods, VolkerRail, London Trams, Sika and AtkinsRéalis have successfully introduced a transformative embedded rail technology capable of redefining how tramway infrastructure is maintained for decades to come.

This award recognises not only the successful delivery of the Sandilands renewal, but the team's ambition to find a better way of doing things, with an approach that can support future embedded rail renewals across the light rail sector."

Craig Summers, Business Unit Manager at Sika UK, added: "We are incredibly proud to have played a part in this award-winning project. By combining Sika's specialist embedded rail technology with the expertise and commitment of the wider project team, we have delivered a solution that makes track renewal faster, safer and more sustainable.

This recognition demonstrates what can be achieved through genuine collaboration and a shared determination to challenge established methods for the benefit of the light rail industry."

The Sandilands project demonstrates how Sika's material technology, automation and close industry collaboration can help operators complete embedded rail renewals more efficiently, while reducing waste and disruption for passengers and communities.

Its successful delivery provides a strong blueprint for future schemes and shows how partners working across the rail ecosystem can accelerate the adoption of practical technologies that improve performance and support more sustainable urban transport networks.