Abstract: A steel railroad sleeper of inverted channel section whose open ends can selectively be closed by end plates detachably connected one to open end of the sleeper and whose sides incline downwardly and outwardly from the upper rail supporting surface of the sleeper, the sleeper being produced by cold forming strip steel. The sleeper may be produced by cold pressing or cold rolling and the end plates may also be produced by cold forming steel strip. In one embodiment the sleeper has a waisted section of reduced width. This waisted section may be positioned generally midway along the length of the sleeper. The central section of the sleeper interior may be filled with a material to prevent the ingress of ballast to this central region.