Steel rail, we also called rails, tracks, is an important element of the rail system. The steel rail is used with rail joint and railway fasteners like rail clip, railraod tie plate, turnouts to make the train run fast and steady without steering.
What are the different types of rail steel?
Rail steel types vary by composition (carbon, alloy, manganese), heat treatment (head-hardened, bainitic), and application (heavy haul, high-speed, light rail), with common categories including basic Carbon Steel, Low-Alloy Steels (like C-Mn), and advanced Heat-Treated Steels (Head-Hardened, Bainitic) for superior wear and strength, tailored to specific track demands like high tonnage or rapid transit.
By Composition/Alloy
- Carbon Steel Rails: Basic type, good for general use.
- Low-Alloy Steels: Contains elements like manganese, chromium, nickel for better strength, wear, and fatigue resistance (e.g., Carbon-Manganese steels).
- Manganese Steel: Used for specialized applications like crane rails.
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 |
By Heat Treatment/Microstructure
- Heat-Treated Rails: Reheated after rolling for improved properties, including online (in-line) or offline treatments.
- Head-Hardened (HH) Rails: Hardened surface for extreme wear resistance, ideal for metro/high-speed lines, with a ductile core.
- Bainitic Rails: Feature a bainitic microstructure for excellent anti-fatigue properties, reducing grinding needs.
- Martensitic Rails: Another advanced type offering high strength and hardness.
By Application/Weight
- Light Rails: Lower weight per meter (e.g., 9, 12, 15, 22 kg/m), for industrial or branch lines.
| 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 | |
- Heavy Rails: Higher weight (e.g., 43, 50, 60, 75 kg/m), for mainlines, freight, and high-speed lines.
| Classification | Height(mm) | Head (mm) | Bottom (mm) | Thick(mm) | Weight (kg/m) | |
| 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 Rails: Specialized profiles and materials (like manganese steel) for cranes.
| Classification | SIZE(mm) | theoretical weight | |||||||||
| height | bottom width | head width | waist depth | ||||||||
| Crane rail | QU70 | 120 | 120 | 70 | 28 | 52.8 | |||||
| QU80 | 130 | 130 | 80 | 32 | 63.69 | ||||||
| QU100 | 150 | 150 | 100 | 38 | 88.96 | ||||||
| QU120 | 170 | 170 | 120 | 44 | 118.1 | ||||||
Since 2008, GNEE RAIL has been supplying steel rails of different grades for more than 18 years, steel rails from GNEE is highly recommened in China and abroad.Wtih cutting edge equipment, GNEE produces high quality steel rails that meet with requirements of most countries. Standard rail, head hardened rail, heavy rail,light rail,crane rail and other types are all available here, as one of the China main rail supplier, GNEE RAIL has been working on supplying economical green railway products all over the world.