Steel rails are a core component of railway infrastructure, and selecting the right rail is essential for safe, efficient, and long-lasting railway operation. At GNEE RAIL, we provide a wide range of high-quality steel rails, including heavy rail, light rail, crane rail, QU70, QU80, QU100, and QU120, suitable for various railway applications.
Steel Rail Selection Guide
Type of Railway
- Heavy-haul railways require stronger heavy rails or alloy steel rails to support heavy freight loads.
- Light-haul railways can use lighter carbon steel rails for passenger or light freight transport.
| 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 | |
| Crance 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 | |
Rail Weight
The weight determines the load-carrying capacity. Heavy-duty tracks need heavier rails, while lighter tracks can use lower-weight rails.
Section Shape
Common shapes include I-beam, bulb-angle, and asymmetrical rails. The choice depends on speed, load, and application-e.g., asymmetrical rails for high-speed lines, bulb-angle rails for heavy-haul.
Material Composition
- Carbon steel rails: widely used for standard and light-duty tracks.
| Q235B | Mechanical property | Chemical composition(%) | |||||||||
| Yield strength | Tensile strength | Elongation | Hardness | C | Si | Mn | S | P | |||
| MPa | kg/mm² | MPa | kg/mm² | min | HB | ≤ | ≤ | ≤ | |||
| ≥ | ≥ | ||||||||||
| 235 | 24 | 375-460 | 38-47 | 26% | 0.12-0.22 | 0.35 | 0.30-0.70 | 0.045 | 0.045 | ||
- Alloy steel rails: offer higher strength and wear resistance for heavy-duty and high-load applications.
| Chemical Components % | |||||||||||
| Mark | C | S1 | Mn | P | S | ||||||
| U71Mn | 0.65-0.77 | 0.15-0.35 | 1.0-1.5 | ＜0.040 | ＜0.040 | ||||||
Manufacturing Process
- Hot-rolled rails: cost-effective and durable for standard tracks.
- Heat-treated rails: stronger and more resistant to wear, ideal for heavy-duty or high-speed operations.
At GNEE RAIL, we not only provide customized steel rails for all railway types but also offer installation guidance, technical support, and complete railway fastening solutions, including rail clips, fishplates, bolts, dog spike,screw spike,rail clamp,rail anchor etc. Choosing the right steel rail with GNEE RAIL's expertise ensures optimized performance, reduced maintenance costs, and safe railway operations worldwide.Contact GNEE RAIL for more product information.
