Rail track is an essential component of rail track, and its function is to guide the train wheels moving forward by withstanding the enormous pressure pushed by the wheels. Steel rail shall provide smooth, stable and continuous rolling surface for the passing train wheels. In electrical railway or automatic block section, railway track can also be used as track circuit.
Are rails made of iron?
No, modern railway rails are not made of pure iron; they are made from high-quality, strong steel, an iron alloy, because pure iron (like cast or wrought iron) is too brittle or soft for the immense stress of trains, with steel's carbon content providing the necessary strength and durability. While older tracks used iron, the transition to steel allowed for heavier, faster, and longer-lasting rails, making steel the industry standard.
Why Steel is Used in Rail?
- Strength & Durability: Steel's carbon and manganese content makes it far stronger than iron, allowing it to withstand huge vertical and lateral forces from trains without breaking or wearing out quickly.
- Performance: Different steel compositions (carbon steel, alloy steel, heat-treated steel) are used for specific needs, like high-manganese steel for switches (mangalloy), providing better performance and longevity.
GNEE RAIL Commonly Used Steel Chemical Compositions:
| Steel Grade | C (%) | Si | Mn | P | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U71Mn | 0.65~0.76 | 0.15~0.58 | 0.70~1.40 | ≤0.035 | ≤0.030 |
| 50Mn | 0.47-0.55 | 0.17-0.37 | 0.70-1.00 | ≤0.030 | ≤0.030 |
| 60Mn | 0.57–0.65 | ≤ 0.40 | 0.70–1.00 | ≤ 0.030 | ≤ 0.030 |
| R260 | 0.60–0.80 | 0.10–0.50 | 0.80-1.30 | ≤ 0.025 | ≤ 0.020 |
| R350HT | 0.65–0.82 | 0.10–0.50 | 0.80–1.50 | ≤ 0.025 | ≤ 0.020 |
| 1080 | 0.75–0.88 | ≤ 0.40 | 0.60–0.90 | ≤ 0.030 | ≤ 0.030 |
| 1084 | 0.80–0.93 | ≤ 0.40 | 0.60–0.90 | ≤ 0.030 | ≤ 0.030 |
Applications of Track Rail
Steel rail products are employed in a broad spectrum of transportation functions, outlined by the following categories:
- Mass transit-passenger railways, underground rail, trams.
- Freight and logistics-bulk material transport.
- Cranes, fixed track lifting equipment, for short haul and high load transport.
As a professional rail fastener supplier, GNEE RAILcan provide different standard steel rail such as American, BS, UIC, DIN, JIS, Australian and South Africa which used in railway lines, cranes and coal mining.
| Classification | Height(mm) | Head (mm) | Bottom (mm) | Thick(mm) | Weight (kg/m) | |
| Light Rail | 8 KG/M | 65 | 25 | 54 | 7 | 8.42 |
| 9 KG/M | 63.5 | 32.1 | 63.5 | 5.9 | 8.94 | |
| 12 KG/M | 69.85 | 38.1 | 69.85 | 7.54 | 12.2 | |
| 15 KG/M | 79.37 | 42.86 | 79.37 | 8.33 | 15.2 | |
| 18 KG/M | 80 | 40 | 80 | 10 | 18.06 | |
| 22 KG/M | 93.66 | 50.8 | 93.66 | 10.72 | 22.3 | |
| 24 KG/M | 107 | 51 | 90 | 10.9 | 24.46 | |
| 30 KG/M | 107.95 | 60.33 | 107.95 | 12.3 | 30.1 | |
| Heavy Rail | 38 KG/M | 134 | 68 | 114 | 13 | 38.733 |
| 43 KG/M | 140 | 70 | 114 | 14.5 | 44.653 | |
| 45 KG/M | 145 | 67 | 126 | 14.5 | 45.546 | |
| 50 KG/M | 152 | 70 | 132 | 15.5 | 51.514 | |
| 60 KG/M | 176 | 73 | 150 | 16.5 | 60.64 | |
| Crane Rail | QU 70 | 120 | 70 | 120 | 28 | 52.8 |
| QU 80 | 130 | 80 | 130 | 32 | 63.69 | |
| QU 100 | 150 | 100 | 150 | 38 | 88.96 | |
| QU 120 | 170 | 120 | 170 | 44 | 118.1 | |
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