30kg Light Steel Rail: Verified Dimensions, Steel Grades and a Practical Buying Guide

A 30 kg light steel rail is a hot-rolled rail section with a nominal linear mass of 30 kg per metre, produced to the Chinese national standard GB/T 11264 (originally issued as GB 11264-89). The standard applies to rails for track in mining, forestry and architectural/industrial service, and defines the section shape, dimensions, theoretical mass, tolerances, steel grades, test methods and quality certification requirements.

In the Chinese standard system, rail products fall into three parallel families. Do not mix them up when you specify:

Buyer's note: the "30 kg" figure is the nominal mass class, not the exact mass. The theoretical mass is 30.10 kg/m, which is what freight and axle-load calculations should use.

The following table lists the cross-section data for the 30 kg light rail. The values are consistent across the GB 11264-89 and GB/T 11264-2012 editions and are confirmed by the national standard record cited in References.

GB/T 11264-2012 specifies three steel grades for light rails. The grade determines hardness, wear resistance, toughness and weldability, so it is the second most important line on your order after the standard number.

Why the grade matters in practice: raising the carbon content from the Q235 level to the 55Q level roughly doubles the achievable hardness of the running surface and improves resistance to abrasive wear from mine cars, but it lowers toughness and weldability and increases the risk of cracking under impact or poor joint support. That is why suppliers commonly pair 55Q with fishplated joints and Q235 with welded or fishplated track depending on the site.

Buyer's note: a complete rail designation should look like this - "30 kg/m light rail, grade 55Q, 8 m lengths, to GB/T 11264-2012". If a quotation only says "30 kg rail", ask for the standard edition, the grade and the delivery length in writing.

The light rail standard has been revised twice, and each revision changes the legal basis of your supply contract:

• GB 11264-89 - original edition, superseded by GB/T 11264-2012 on 2013-05-01.

• GB/T 11264-2012 Hot-rolled light rails - introduced formal order-content clauses and updated section tables, tolerances and test references (issued 2012-11-05, in force 2013-05-01).

• GB/T 11264-2025 - current edition, effective 2026-03-01, replacing GB/T 11264-2012 in full (per the national standard information service platform of SAMR; the 2012 record now shows "superseded").

Many legacy articles, still quote "GB11264-89". If a supplier cites only the 1989 edition, ask them to confirm compliance with the current edition and to show the standard number on the mill test certificate. Order content under GB/T 11264-2012 clause 3 is: standard number, designation, model, length, weight, and any other requirements - use exactly this list in your inquiry to avoid mis-specification.

Use this checklist when you receive a quotation or a shipment of 30 kg light rail:

• Mill Test Certificate (MTC): must quote the standard edition (e.g., GB/T 11264-2012 or the current edition), the grade, the heat number, and chemical + mechanical test results. We issue MTC per EN 10204 3.1 on every order, as stated on our site.

• Dimensional check: rail height, bottom width, head width and web thickness against the standard's tolerances; straightness (bending per metre and total bending) within the standard's limits - the limit values are set in the standard tables (verify against GB/T 11264-2012).

• Surface condition: no lamination, cracks, harmful scabs or folds; local surface defects must be removed within tolerance; the section must be free of shrinkage cavities and internal delamination.

• Length and ends: length and length tolerance, square-cut ends, and end bending within limits (the 1989 edition allowed ≤3 mm/m straightness; confirm the current-edition limit).

• Packaging and marking: grade, standard number and heat number marked per the standard; bundling suitable for container or bulk shipment.

• Third-party inspection: available on request; sampling and testing follow GB/T 228.1 (tensile) and GB/T 231.1 (Brinell hardness) as referenced by the standard.

Within the scope of GB/T 11264 (mining, forestry and architecture), the 30 kg section is selected where a light rail is needed but smaller sections (9–24 kg/m) would be under-designed:

• Underground mine haulage roads and winch (inclined-shaft) tracks - 55Q preferred for abrasive service.

• Surface mining and quarry sidings for mine-car and loco traffic.

• Forestry tramways and log-yard tracks.

• Light industrial sidings, warehouse and factory yard track, and temporary construction track.

• Lighter crane gantries and gantry crane rails where crane-rail (QU) sections are not required.

If your rail wheel flange profile is designed for a 30 kg/m light rail, stay with the GB/T 11264 series; switching to heavy rail (GB 2585) or crane rail (YB/T 5055) changes the section geometry and therefore the wheel/rail interface.

1. Is a 30kg light steel rail the same as a 30 kg/m heavy rail?

No. In the Chinese standard system, light rails (9–30 kg/m) are covered by GB/T 11264, heavy rails (38–75 kg/m) by GB 2585-2007, and crane rails (QU70–QU120) by YB/T 5055-2014. The 30 kg rail belongs to the light rail family; it is the heaviest light rail section, not a heavy rail.

2. What is the theoretical weight of 30kg light rail?

30.10 kg/m. An 8 m bar weighs about 240.8 kg and a 10 m bar about 301.0 kg, before cutting allowances. Use the theoretical mass for freight and axle-load planning.

3. Which grade should I choose for a coal mine haulage road?

For abrasive underground or surface mining duty, 55Q is typically specified for its higher hardness and wear resistance. For general industrial track where welding may be needed, Q235 is preferred. State the grade explicitly - "30 kg rail" alone is not a complete specification.

4. Can 30kg light rail be welded?

Q235 is generally weldable with an approved procedure. Higher-carbon grades such as 55Q are not recommended for field welding - use fishplate (joint bar) connections, which is also why rail joint bars for the 30 kg section should be specified to the same standard.

5. What lengths are available?

Typical mill lengths are 6, 8 and 10 m (the page's historical "6–10 m" figure matches this practice). Confirm the exact delivery-length table against GB/T 11264-2012 - verify against the current edition - and state the length on your purchase order. Longer custom lengths are subject to logistics and container constraints.

6. Do you provide a mill test certificate?

Yes. As stated on our site, an MTC per EN 10204 3.1 is provided with each order, and third-party inspection (for example SGS or BV) can be arranged on request. The certificate will quote the standard edition, grade, heat number and test results.