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.
As we know, the rail system is composed of the two parallel rails and sleepers. The steel rails are fixed on the sleepers, and under the rail sleeper, is the railway track ballast. The steel rail can bear much more weight compared with other material rails. Due to the enormous pressure, the steel rail needs high-quality steel to make.
What kind of steel is used in rails?
Rails are primarily made from high-carbon steel or carbon-manganese steel, chosen for strength, hardness, and wear resistance, with added elements like vanadium or chromium for enhanced performance in high-traffic or high-speed lines, and sometimes heat-treated for superior toughness and durability, especially on curves.
Common Types of Rail Steel
- Carbon Steel: The most common, offering a balance of affordability, strength, and durability, typically with 0.4% to 0.8% carbon and manganese for toughness.
| 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 | ||
- High-Carbon Steel: Higher carbon content (0.8%-1.1%) provides increased hardness and wear resistance for longer life, but at a higher cost.
- Carbon-Manganese Steel: A popular choice, combining carbon for hardness with manganese for toughness and improved wear resistance, often used in standard heavy-duty rails (e.g., U71Mn).
| 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 |
- Alloy Steel: Steel with added elements like vanadium (V), titanium (Ti), or chromium (Cr) for superior strength, fatigue resistance, and toughness, ideal for demanding conditions (e.g., U75V, U78CrV).
| Steel Grade | C(%) | Si | Mn | Cr | V | P | S | Tensile Strength (Rm/MPa) |
| U75V | 0.71~0.80 | 0.50~0.80 | 0.75~1.05 | – | 0.04~0.12 | ≤0.035 | ≤0.030 | ≥980 |
| U78CrV | 0.72~0.82 | 0.50~0.80 | 0.70~1.05 | 0.30~0.50 | 0.04~0.12 | ≤0.035 | ≤0.030 | ≥1080 |
- Heat-Treated Steel: Carbon or alloy rails subjected to controlled heating and cooling to refine their internal structure, significantly increasing the hardness and wear resistance of the rail head, perfect for sharp curves and switches.
As for the rail track sizes, there are some differences among countries. The common standards in Europe are 40kg/m, 50kg/m, and 60kg/m. And the common rails standards in China are 43kg, 50kg, 60kg, and 75kg. Generally, the most common rails standards are 43kg, 60kg/m and 75kg/m. The United States prefers to the heavier rails. If you want to find the railroad track manufacturers, you can choose the GNEE RAIL.
Chinese Standard Rail
| Standard: GB11264-89 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Dimension(mm) | Weight (kg/m) |
Length(m) | |||
| Head | Height | Bottom | Thickness | |||
| GB6KG | 25.4 | 50.8 | 50.8 | 4.76 | 5.98 | 6-12 |
| GB9KG | 32.1 | 63.5 | 63.5 | 5.9 | 8.94 | |
| GB12KG | 38.1 | 69.85 | 69.85 | 7.54 | 12.2 | |
| GB15KG | 42.86 | 79.37 | 79.37 | 8.33 | 15.2 | |
| GB22KG | 50.3 | 93.66 | 93.66 | 10.72 | 23.3 | |
| GB30KG | 60.33 | 107.95 | 107.95 | 12.3 | 30.1 | |
| Standard: YB222-63 | ||||||
| 8KG | 25 | 65 | 54 | 7 | 8.42 | 6-12 |
| 18KG | 40 | 90 | 80 | 10 | 18.06 | |
| 24KG | 51 | 107 | 92 | 10.9 | 24.46 | |
| Standard: GB2585-2007 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Dimension(mm) | Weight (kg/m) |
Length(m) | |||
| Head | Height | Bottom | Thickness | |||
| P38KG | 68 | 134 | 114 | 13 | 38.733 | 12.5-25 |
| P43KG | 70 | 140 | 114 | 14.5 | 44.653 | |
| P50KG | 70 | 152 | 132 | 15.5 | 51.514 | |
| P60KG | 73 | 170 | 150 | 16.5 | 61.64 | |
| Standard: YB/T5055-93 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Dimension(mm) | Weight (kg/m) |
Length(m) | |||
| Head | Height | Bottom | Thickness | |||
| QU 70 | 70 | 120 | 120 | 28 | 52.8 | 12 |
| QU 80 | 80 | 130 | 130 | 32 | 63.69 | |
| QU 100 | 100 | 150 | 150 | 38 | 88.96 | |
| QU 120 | 120 | 170 | 170 | 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.