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What material are rails made of?

Jan 23, 2026 Leave a message

A steel rail is a rigid, shaped steel track member that forms the physical pathway on which steel wheels roll, controlling direction while bearing vertical, lateral, and longitudinal forces generated by moving vehicles. Its function is to keep vehicles confined to a fixed route while transmitting loads safely to sleepers and foundations.

 

steel rail

 

GNEE RAIL supplies rails in full standards including GB light rails and heavy rails from 8–60 kg/m, UIC50, UIC54, UIC60, DIN536 crane rails A55, A65, A75, A100, A120, QU70, QU80, QU100, QU120, JIS 15KG–CR100, AS1085 31KG–89KG, BS11:1985 sections, and AREMA/ASCE 25–175 lb, and also provides rail cutting, drilling, and fastening system supply.

 

What material are rails made of?

 

Rails are made primarily of high-carbon steel, specifically engineered to withstand very high loads, repeated wheel impacts, and long-term fatigue. This type of steel is not ordinary structural steel; it is a pearlitic rail steel designed to provide an optimal balance of hardness, strength, wear resistance, and toughness.

 

crane rail

 

From a metallurgical perspective, most rails are produced from carbon–manganese steels with a carbon content typically around 0.6–0.8%, combined with manganese to improve hardenability and resistance to cracking. The pearlitic microstructure gives rails high resistance to rolling contact fatigue and surface wear, which are the dominant failure modes in railway and crane rail applications.

 

Common international rail steel grades include:

 

  • On Chinese and Asian markets: U71Mn and U75V, where higher carbon and alloy additions increase strength and wear resistance.

 

Steel Grade C(%) Si Mn Cr V P S Tensile Strength (Rm/MPa)
U71Mn 0.65~0.76 0.15~0.58 0.70~1.40 – – ≤0.035 ≤0.030 ≥880
U75V 0.71~0.80 0.50~0.80 0.75~1.05 – 0.04~0.12 ≤0.035 ≤0.030 ≥980

 

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

 

  • Under European standards (EN 13674): R260, R320Cr, and R350HT, with R350HT (head-hardened) widely used on heavy-haul and high-speed lines for extended service life.

 

Grade Standard / Region Typical Composition (wt%)
R260 EN 13674-1 (Europe) C: 0.67–0.80, Mn: 0.90–1.20, Si: ≤0.50
R350HT EN 13674-1 (Europe) C: 0.75–0.85, Mn: 0.80–1.20, Cr: 0.20–0.50

 

heavy rail

 

Type of Standard Dimensions mm Steel Grade Mass M
Rail A F C t kg/m
39E1(BS80A) EN13674–4 133.4 117.5 63.5 13.1 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 39.77
45E1(BS90A) EN13674–4 142.88 127 66.67 13.89 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 45.11
45E3(RN45) EN13674–4 142 130 66 15 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 44.79
46E2(U33) EN13674–4 145 134 62 15 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 46.27
49E1(S49) EN13674–4 149 125 67 14 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 49.39
49E2 EN13674–4 148 125 67 14 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 49.1
49E5 EN13674–4 149 125 67 14 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 49.13
50E1 EN13674–4 153 134 65 15.5 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 50.37
50E2(50EB-T) EN13674–4 151 140 72 15 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 49.97
50E4 EN13674–4 152 125 70 15 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 50.46
50E5 EN13674–4 148 135 67 14 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 49.9
50E6(U50) EN13674–4 153 140 65 15.5 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 50.9
54E1(UIC54) EN13674–4 159 140 70 16 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 54.77
54E2(UIC54E) EN13674–4 161 125 67 16 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 53.82
54E3(DINS54) EN13674–4 154 125 67 16 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 54.57
54E4 EN13674–4 154 125 67 16 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 54.31
54E5(54E1AHC) EN13674–4 159 140 70.2 16 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 54.42
55E1 EN13674–4 155 134 62 19 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 56.03
56E1(BS113Lb) EN13674–4 158.75 140 69.85 20 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 56.3
60E1(UIC60) EN13674–4 172 150 72 16.5 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 60.21
60E2 EN13674–4 172 150 72 16.5 R200/R260/R260Mn/R300HT 60.03

 

  • Under AREMA/ASCE standards: grades such as 900A and 1100, classified by minimum tensile strength and hardness.

 

track rail

 

ASTM standard, AREMA standard
Size Dimension(mm) Weight
(kg/m)		 Length(m)
Head Height Foot Thickness
ASCE 25 38.1 69.85 69.85 7.54 12.4 6-12
ASCE 30 42.86 79.38 79.38 8.33 14.88
ASCE 40 47.62 88.9 88.9 9.92 19.84
ASCE 60 60.32 107.95 107.95 12.3 29.76
ASCE 75 62.71 122.24 122.24 13.49 37.2 12-25
ASCE 85 65.09 131.76 131.76 14.29 42.17
ASCE 90 69.09 130.18 142.88 14.29 44.65
ASCE 115 69.06 139.7 168.28 15.88 56.9
ASCE 136 74.61 152.4 185.74 17.46 67.41
ASCE 175 109.86 152.4 152.4 38.1 86.8

 

  • For industrial and crane applications, rails made to DIN 536 or QU standards also use high-strength pearlitic steels, often with optional head hardening to cope with extremely high wheel loads and strong lateral forces in ports, steel plants, and container terminals.

 

DIN 13674-1-2003 Standard Steel Rail

 

Standard：DIN 536
Size Dimension(mm) Weight
(kg/m)		 Length(m)
Head Height Bottom Thickness
A55 55 65 150 31 31.8 10-12
A55 65 75 175 38 43.1
A75 75 85 200 45 56.2
A100 100 95 200 60 74.3
A120 120 105 200 72 100

 

As a professional rail fastener supplier, GNEE RAIL can provide different standard steel rail such as GB,American, BS, UIC, DIN, JIS, Australian and South Africa which used in railway lines, cranes and coal mining.

 

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