What are the different types of railroad clips?

Dec 29, 2025 Leave a message

What are the different types of railroad clips?

 

Railroad clips, or elastic rail fasteners, secure rails to sleepers, with major types including E-clips, SKL clips, Nabla clips, and Deenik clips, designed for various track conditions like high-speed or heavy-haul lines, often made from spring steel to absorb vibration and maintain rail stability. Key variations are distinguished by their shape and application, such as E-clips providing durable alignment, while SKL clips offer strong tension for concrete sleepers.


Common Types of Rail Clips:

 

 

  • E-Type Clips: Made of forged spring steel, these provide robust, lasting rail alignment and are common in many countries, including America and India.

 

  • SKL Clips (Tension Clips): Popular in Germany (HM system), these come in various models (e.g., SKL1, SKL3, SKL12) and are effective with concrete sleepers.

 

  • Nabla Clips: Used in systems from Japan and France, known for good performance in securing rails.

 

  • Deenik Clips: Another type of elastic fastener, often used in specific regional systems.

 

  • KPO Clips: Used in KPO clamp fastening systems, offering another variation for rail fixation.

 

rail fastening

 

Parameters of Main Rail Clip Products
Model Diameter Weight Material
Type III Ø18 0.80kg/pc 60Si2MnA
E1609 Ø16 0.43 kg/pc 60Si2MnA
E1809 Ø20 0.61kg/pc 60Si2MnA
E1813 Ø18 0.62kg/pc 60Si2MnA
E2001 Ø20 0.80kg/pc 60Si2MnA
E2007 Ø20 0.80kg/pc 60Si2MnA
E2009 Ø20 0.80kg/pc 60Si2MnA
E2039 Ø20 0.80kg/pc 60Si2MnA
E2055 Ø20 0.80kg/pc 60Si2MnA
E2056 Ø20 0.80kg/pc 60Si2MnA
E2063 Ø20 0.80kg/pc 60Si2MnA
PR85 Rail Clip Ø13 0.25kg/pc 60Si2MnA
PR309A Ø19 0.85kg/pc 60Si2MnA
PR401 Ø20 0.97kg/pc 60Si2MnA
PR415 Ø20 0.95kg/pc 60Si2MnA
PR601A Ø20 1.03kg/pc 38Si7
SKL 1 Ø13 0.48kg/pc 60Si2CrA
SKL 3 Ø13 0.48kg/pc 60Si2CrA
SKL 12 Ø13 0.53kg/pc 38Si7
SKL 14 Ø13 0.53kg/pc 60Si2MnA
Special Rail Clip Ø13 0.48kg/pc 60Si2MnA
Russia Rail Clip Ø18 0.58kg/pc 60Si2MnA
Deenik Clip Ø25 0.49-0.68kg/pc 60Si2MnA
Single Anti- Ø20 0.25kg/pc 60Si2MnA
Theft

 

The rail elastic clip is used for fastening the rails and the tie plate on concrete sleeper. Using the material of forged spring steel, our rail clips are produced by hot forging process. GNEE RAIL can develop and produce various kinds of rail clips such as E-type(E1609, E1809, E1817, E2007, E2009, E2055, etc), SKL tension clips (SKL1, SKL3, SKL12, SKL14, SKL75, etc), PR series, Nabla clips, D type rail clip, Fast clip, gauge lock clip, Deenik clip as well as other standard and non-standard clips can be customized by drawings or samples.

 

rail fasteners

 

How to choose the right railway clip?

 

Choosing the right railway clip involves matching its specifications (size, strength, material) to your track's rail profile, sleeper type, axle load, and design speed, considering factors like climate and trackbed (ballasted/slab) to ensure stability, proper rail gauge, and long life. Key performance factors include sufficient toe load, hardness (e.g., 44-48 HRC), and excellent fatigue life (e.g., 3+ million cycles), with common types like E-clips and SKL clips for different needs.

 

Elastic rail clips manufacturing process

 

Based on the process production, elastic rail clip manufacture process can be summarized as eight links: raw material- shearing- heating- forming- hardening- tempering- inspection- packing.

 

rail fastening

 

GNEE RAIL offer an extensive range of rail clips with optimum quality, these rail clips are designed with high precision and made up of premium grade spring steel. GNEE has been the largest and most competitive production base of rail clip in China after more than 18 years' rail clip producing experience, and have qualification to tender nationally large and medium scaled rail projects. What's more, our rail clip can be customized according to clients' requirements.

 

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