A steel rail system consists of steel rail, rail clips, Sleepers(Railroad ties), Fastenings, ballast, turnouts anti-creep devices, and grout. Other factors include rail welding procedures, expansion joint design, and installation tolerances.
Steel rail is a type of steel bar that has a long, rectangular cross-section in the shape of an I or U. It is used to install railway tracks, and tracks for specialized vehicles such as cranes, trolleys, and locomotives, etc.
What type of metal is used in rail tracks?
Railway tracks are primarily made from high-quality, hot-rolled steel, specifically high-carbon steel or carbon-manganese steel, chosen for its exceptional strength, hardness, wear resistance, and ability to withstand extreme pressure, friction, and impacts from heavy trains. Some specialized tracks use alloy steels with elements like vanadium or chromium for even greater durability, or heat-treated steel for enhanced properties.
The hardness of hot-rolled railway track metal
| Material | Tensile Strength / Mpa | Hardness / HB |
|---|---|---|
| U75V | ≥980 | 280~320 |
| U78CrV | ≥1080 | 310~360 |
| U76CrRE | ≥1080 | 310~360 |
| U77MnCr | ≥980 | 290~330 |
The hardness of heat-treatment railway track metal
| Material | Tensile Strength / Mpa | Hardness / HB |
|---|---|---|
| U75V | ≥1180 | 320~380 |
| U78CrV | ≥1280 | 370~420 |
Types of Steel Rail from GNEE RAIL
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 | |
The Importance of Choosing the Right Steel Rail
- Selecting the appropriate rail is crucial for railway systems. It not only directly ensures traffic safety by withstanding the pressure, thrust, and friction generated by trains through sufficient strength and toughness to prevent rail fracture or deformation, but also effectively adapts to different transportation scenarios-such as the high-precision long rails for high-speed railways and wear-resistant rails for heavy-haul railways-to meet speed and load requirements.
- Meanwhile, high-quality rails can reduce wheel-rail friction, minimize energy consumption and wheel wear, extend service life, and lower maintenance costs and line disruption losses.
- Additionally, suitable rails ensure coordination with track structures like sleepers and fastenings, comply with relevant technical standards, and achieve the unity of safety, efficiency, and economy in railway transportation.
In addition to steel rails, GNEE RAIL also offers a wide range of rail components. We take quality and safety as our core in all products, rigorously testing every component to meet the highest industry standards. Contact us today to discuss your specific requirements.
