Rail track is an essential component of rail track, and its function is to guide the train wheels moving forward by withstanding the enormous pressure pushed by the wheels. Steel rail shall provide smooth, stable and continuous rolling surface for the passing train wheels. In electrical railway or automatic block section, railway track can also be used as track circuit.
How long is a section of railroad track?
A section of railroad track varies in length, traditionally around 39 feet (12m) in the U.S. for shorter segments, but modern practice uses Continuous Welded Rail (CWR), where individual rails (often 78-120 feet or 24-36 meters) are welded into lengths of several hundred meters (quarter-mile) or even miles, creating smoother, stronger tracks. Different countries and eras have different standards, from 25m (China) to 36m (France), but long welded rails are the global trend.
Historical & Standard Lengths:
- Early US: Often 39 feet (11.9m) to fit 40-foot cars.
- UK: Standardized around 30 meters (98.5 ft) for main lines.
- Japan: Common lengths are 25m and 50m.
Modern Practice (Continuous Welded Rail - CWR):
- Individual rails (e.g., 12m, 25m, 36m) are welded together off-site.
- These are then transported as long segments, often around 1/4 mile (400m).
- These segments are then welded together in the field to form mile-long (or longer) continuous rails, reducing joints and improving ride quality.
What are common rail sizes?
Common rail sizes vary by application (heavy haul, light rail, crane) and region, typically defined by weight per meter (kg/m) or yard (lb/yd) and profile (e.g., 136RE, 50kg, UIC60, ASCE). Popular heavy-duty mainline sizes include 136RE (67.5 kg/m) and 115RE (57 kg/m) in North America, while international standards use metrics like 60kg/m, 50kg/m, and 75kg/m, and crane rails are designated by QU (e.g., QU100) or CR numbers.
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.
GB standard steel rail
| 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 | |
JIS E 1103/1101 Standard Steel Rail
| Standard: JIS E 1103/1101 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Dimension(mm) | Weight (kg/m) |
Length(m) | |||
| Head | Height | Bottom | Thickness | |||
| JIS 15KG | 42.86 | 79.37 | 79.37 | 8.33 | 15.2 | 9-10 |
| JIS 22KG | 50.8 | 93.66 | 93.66 | 10.72 | 22.3 | 9-10 |
| JIS 30A | 60.33 | 107.95 | 107.95 | 12.3 | 30.1 | 9-10 |
| JIS 37A | 62.71 | 122.24 | 122.24 | 13.49 | 37.2 | 10-25 |
| JIS 50N | 65 | 153 | 127 | 15 | 50.4 | 10-25 |
| CR 73 | 100 | 135 | 140 | 32 | 73.3 | 10-12 |
| CR 100 | 120 | 150 | 155 | 39 | 100.2 | 10-12 |
Australian 1085 Standard Steel Rail
| Standard: AS 1085 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Dimension(mm) | Weight (kg/m) |
Length(m) | |||
| Head | Height | Bottom | Thickness | |||
| 31KG | 63.5 | 117.5 | 108 | 11.5 | 31.5 | 8-25 |
| 47KG | 70 | 141.3 | 127 | 14.3 | 46.5 | |
| 50KG | 70 | 154 | 127 | 15 | 50.8 | |
| 60KG | 70 | 170 | 146 | 16.5 | 61 | |
| 68KG | 73.4 | 186 | 152 | 17.5 | 67.6 | |
| 73KG | 70 | 157 | 146 | 32 | 73.63 | |
| 86KG | 102 | 102 | 165 | 84.11 | 85.5 | |
| 89KG | 102 | 114 | 178 | 51 | 89.81 | |
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.