Railroad tracks, also called railroad rails or railway tracks, are essential for railway systems for its function of leading trains move forward and carrying loads then transfer it to the lower structure. With the development of railways in the direction of high-speed and heavy-load, modern requirements for rail quality are getting higher and higher. As the speed of the rail vehicle increases, rail life becomes shorter and shorter.
How strong is a railroad track?
Railroad tracks are incredibly strong, built from high-carbon steel with high tensile strength (around 113,000-135,000 PSI) and hardness, allowing them to withstand immense, concentrated loads from heavy trains by distributing weight through a system of rail, ballast (crushed stone), ties (concrete/wood), and a prepared subgrade. While the steel itself is tough, the overall track structure's capacity depends on the rail's weight (e.g., 136 lb/yd common for mainlines), ballast depth, and subgrade quality, enabling support for modern cars weighing up to 286,000 lbs.
Key Strength Factors:
- Material: Rails are made from specialized medium-carbon steel that's harder and tougher than mild steel, resisting wear and deformation.
- High Tensile & Yield Strength: The steel can handle significant pulling (tensile) and bending (yield) forces, with yield strengths around 74,000-97,000 PSI.
- Hardness: Heat treatment increases hardness (50-65 Rc), making the top surface resistant to rolling contact, while keeping the core tough.
Structural Strength (The Whole System):
- Rail Weight: Heavier rails (e.g., 136 lb/yard) provide greater strength for higher speeds and axle loads.
- Ballast: The deep layer of crushed stone provides support, stability, and drainage, preventing sinking.
- Ties (Sleepers): Concrete or wood ties distribute the load from the rails to the ballast.
- Subgrade: The compacted earth beneath the ballast provides foundational support; a poor subgrade limits track capacity.
GNEE RAIL can supply railroad tracks of BS, UIC, AREMA, JIS and other international standards. Based on rich experience and strong technology support, our products has been exported to many countries and regions.
Types of rail track
- Chinese standard
1.Crane rail: QU120,QU100,QU80,QU70. They are most consist of manganese steel.
| Classification | Height(mm) | Head (mm) | Bottom (mm) | Thick(mm) | Weight (kg/m) | |
| 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 | |
2.Heavy rail: the 38kg,43kg,50kg standard are widely used. Besides, as to some lines with high speed and vast capacity, they all use the 60kg rail tracks.
| Classification | Height(mm) | Head (mm) | Bottom (mm) | Thick(mm) | Weight (kg/m) | |
| 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 | |
3.Light rail: light rail can also classified into two types, GB (China national standards) of 9kg,12kg,15kg,22kg,30kg/m and YB (Metallurgy Department Standard) of 8,18,24kg/m and so on.
| 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 | |
- Abroad
Among the rail track market in the world, there are many typical types. For example, the BS series (such as 90A, 80A, 75A, 75R, 60A and so on) of British, the DIN series of Germany, the ASCE series of America(such as 115RE, 136RE), the JIS series of Japan and the UIC series of International Union of Railways(such as UIC54, UIC60).
At GNEE RAIL, we specialize in providing a full range of rail components, including heavy rail,light rail, crane rail and rail fastening, as well as matching high-performance rail clips and fastening solutions. Backed by strict quality control and industry certifications, our products are engineered to meet international standards and diverse project demands.
