Work out how many railway sleepers you need for raised beds, edging and retaining walls. We mix full 2.4m sleepers and 1.2m halves for the cheapest fit.
For raised beds, use the bed planner: enter the bed's length, width and how many courses high, and we calculate the total sleeper run for you.
01 — The Calculator
Pick a material, pace out your plot, and the value engine prices every way to fill it — hippo bags, dumpy bags or handy sacks.
Enter dimensions to calculate.
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Enter your plot size below — we'll price the cheapest way to cover it.
Standard UK sleepers are 2.4m long — we mix full and half (1.2m) sleepers for the cheapest fit. For raised beds, multiply the run by the number of courses high.
Worked example: raised veg bed
A 3m × 1.2m bed, 2 courses high: each course is 8.4m around, so 16.8m total. That's 7 full 2.4m sleepers cut to fit — the planner prices it for you.
UK railway sleepers are typically 2.4m long and 250mm wide. A 2.4m × 1.2m raised bed needs three sleepers per course — two full lengths and one cut in half for the ends — and two courses laid flat give a 500mm-high bed, or 250mm laid on edge. Cut with a circular saw in several passes rather than forcing one deep cut, and always wear a mask: treated softwood, and especially old oak, throws off nasty dust.
Sleepers are heavy — 40–60kg each for softwood, more for oak — so plan delivery to within carrying distance and never move them alone. Fix courses together with 250mm landscaping screws or steel brackets, and drive rebar or short posts behind the corners on beds over 300mm high so soil pressure can't bulge the sides. For veg beds, choose new untreated or water-based-treated sleepers; old creosoted oak is best kept for retaining walls away from planting.
2.4m (8ft) is the UK standard, typically 250×125mm in section. Half sleepers (1.2m) are sold for corners and short runs.
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Reviewed by the Garden Calculator editorial team.
Garden Calculator — Project
My garden project · 23 October 2026
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Prices from the Garden Calculator sample trade catalogue — confirm with your merchant before ordering.