Concrete sleepers are made upside down in moulds, several sleepers long. Pandrol clip bases or other fittings are inserted into the moulds. Pretensiled steel wire are installed in these moulds, and then the concrete is poured. It takes several days for the concrete to cure, after which the sleepers are removed from the moulds and cut into individual sleepers. The bottom of the mould is marked with the logo of the manufacturer and a datestamp.
Occasionally sleepers are made with conduits for track circuit wiring, or extra fixtures for guard rails. Sleepers can be made using a Long Line method or a Short Line method; each method has its advantages and disadvantages.
Multiple companies manufacture sleepers around the world, after which they are transported in small piles, pieces of timber are interposed between the layers of concrete sleepers. The sleepers are then laid either using manual methods or using various sleeper laying machines.