What is a fish plate in railway?
A fish plate (or splice bar) is a metal bar bolted to the sides of two adjoining railway rails to join them together, maintaining proper alignment, spacing, and structural continuity. These plates facilitate smooth train movement, transfer loads between rails to prevent sagging, and allow for thermal expansion.
Key details about fish plates include:
- Function: They hold rail ends together vertically and horizontally, ensuring structural integrity at the joints.
- Components: They are fastened using fish bolts through pre-drilled holes in the rail web.
- Types: Specialized types include insulated joints for signaling circuits and, in some cases, "belly" fish plates for repairing broken rails.
- Design: They are engineered to fit snugly into the web of the rail, often with a tapered shape to provide a secure fit.
Rail Joint (Fish Plate) Specification
| Parameter | Description & Common Standards |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Rail Joint Bar / Fish Plate / Splice Bar |
| Function | Connects two rail ends, maintains alignment, and transmits load across the joint. |
| Applicable Rail Sections | - UIC Series: UIC 54, UIC 60 - BS Series: BS 75R, BS 90A, BS 100A - AREMA Series: 115RE, 136RE - GB Series: 50 kg/m, 60 kg/m, 75 kg/m - AS Series: AS 50, AS 60, AS 68 - Crane Rail Series: QU70, QU80, QU100, QU120 |
| Common Types | - Standard Joint Bar: 4-bolt, 6-bolt patterns. - Compromise Joint Bar: Connects two different rail sections. - Insulated Joint Bar (IJB): Electrically isolates track circuits, made with composite materials or coated steel. - Joggled Joint Bar: Has a depressed section to allow smooth wheel passage over the gap. |
| Standard Length | Typically 600mm, 800mm, or 1000mm per side. Longer bars provide greater stiffness. |
| Hole Pattern & Fastening | - Bolt Hole Quantity: Usually 4 or 6 holes per bar side. - Bolt Diameter: 24mm, 22mm, 1 inch are common. - Hole Spacing: Standardized per rail profile (e.g., ~150mm between holes). |
| Key Dimensional Tolerances | - Hole Diameter: ±0.5mm - Hole Spacing: ±0.7mm - Bar Length: ±2.0mm - Flatness & Straightness: Per EN 13674-4 or AREMA Ch.4 |
What is the function of a rail joint?
A rail joint (or fishplate) is a crucial railway component designed to connect two rail ends together, ensuring track continuity, stability, and safety. It maintains proper horizontal and vertical alignment for train wheels, allows for thermal expansion and contraction, and reduces noise and vibration, while supporting the heavy loads of passing trains.
Key Functions of Rail Joints:
- Connecting Rails: They join two rail sections together to create a continuous track, allowing trains to pass safely.
- Maintaining Alignment: They hold the rail ends in the correct vertical and horizontal alignment, which is critical for safe passage.
- Allowing Expansion/Contraction: They permit the rail to expand or contract due to temperature variations, preventing buckling or gaps.
- Supporting Traffic Loads: They transfer the enormous pressure from passing trains across the joints, reducing the impact on the track structure.
- Providing Flexibility: An ideal joint acts as a continuation of the rail, providing necessary elasticity to the track.
- Supporting Signaling: They are used at specific intervals to create insulated signal blocks for train detection.
Founded in 2008, GNEE RAIL is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of railway components, specializing in high-quality rail fish plates (joint bars/splice bars) with strong production capacity and global service capabilities.
Our rail fish plate portfolio is comprehensive and compliant with international standards including UIC, AREMA, BS, DIN, and GB, covering light rail (8kg-30kg), heavy rail (38kg-75kg), and crane rail (QU70-QU120) systems. We offer diverse types such as insulated joint bars, bulged fish plates, and compromise rail joints,with precise specifications (4-hole/6-hole, 24-inch/36-inch), ensuring excellent mechanical performance.We uphold strict quality control supported by ISO 9001:2015 certification, an in-house inspection center, and third-party audits by SGS and BV. Our one-stop service includes customization, production, packaging, and after-sales support, tailored to clients' project needs.
Click here to obtain the detailed product catalog of GNEE RAIL.
