Fish Plates vs. Welded Rails: Which Is Better for Modern Railways?

 

What Are Fish Plates?

 

Fish plates, often called rail links or tie bars, are metallic slabs that fasten two rail tips with bolts. They've been a cornerstone in rail building since the 1800s. They provide a flexible means to unite tracks. For modern railways, fish plates stay useful in certain cases. This is due to their versatility and simple setup.

 

 

• Pros: Lower upfront cost, easier to install/replace, allows for thermal expansion/contraction, flexible for maintenance, ideal for sidings/yards/turnouts.

 

• Cons: Creates joints (weakest point), noisier, requires regular bolt checks and maintenance, can loosen over time.

 

• Best For: Sidings, marshalling yards, switches/points (turnouts), temporary tracks, locations needing frequent disassembly.

 

Maintenance of railway fish plates

 

Railway fish plate is a rail component that is widely applied in the railway track. Vehicle can produce huge impulse and friction force when the train runs at high speed. Safe railway transportation requires high quality of railway fish plates, besides that, maintenance of railway fish plate is also important.

 

 

• Firstly, adopting supporting fish bolt can increase the performance of railway fish plate.

 

• Secondly, connection rod cap can be fastened by twisting wrench strongly.

 

• Thirdly, it is responsible to perform second-class maintenance at each 1200km operation. Engine oil pan should be removed in the maintenance of railway fish plate, check the usage of the engine bearing, if the gap is too large, change it immediately. At the same time, the connecting rod of fish bolt should be changed too.

 

• Finally, in the daily operation, unstable operation or abnormal noise should be noted and check in time.

 

What Are Welded Rails?

 

Welded rails, or continuous welded rail (CWR), meld rail ends into unbroken spans using thermite or flash-butt welding. Launched in the mid-1900s, this technique leads modern railways. It offers steadiness and minimal care, particularly on rapid or weighty lines.

 

 

• Pros: Smoother ride, quieter trains, higher safety, reduced wear, less maintenance on main lines, seamless track.

 

• Cons: High initial cost, requires specialized equipment (flash-butt welding) and labor, demanding engineering (heavier sleepers, ballast), susceptible to buckling in extreme heat if not properly stressed.

 

• Best For: High-speed lines, busy main routes, long stretches of track.

 

GNEE RAIL can provide you with different rail joints such as GB, AREMA, BS, UIC, AS, African standard, South American standard, and different types such as common rail joint, compromise rail joint, bulge rail joint, insulated rail joint and glued insulated rail joint, etc. Our products have been exported to more than 20 countries and areas and more than 50 types of rail joints of standard and nonstandard are available for global customers.

 

 

Rail Joint For Light Rail
Rail Size(kg/m)	Main dimension(mm)				Theoretical Weight(kg/piece)
	Legth	Width	Holt Diameter	Holt Count
9	385	43.13	14	4	0.81
12	409	46.5	14	4	1.39
15	409	53.54	18	4	2.2
22	510	61.73	22	4	3.8
30	561	71.48	22	4	5.54

 

Rail Joint For Heavy Rail
Rail Size(kg/m)	Main dimension(mm)				Theoretical Weight(kg/piece)
	Legth	Width	Holt Diameter	Holt Count
38,43	790	94.03	40	6	15.57
50	820	104.22	46	6	18.72

 

Standard	Type	Length/Diameter	Weight/Material
AREMA	115RE	4 holes-24″	17.04kg
	115RE	6 holes-36″	25.56kg
	132RE-136RE	4 holes-24″	17.75kg
	132RE-136RE	6 holes-36″	26.63kg

 

How to choose a suitable railway joint?

 

Choosing a suitable railway joint involves matching its type (standard, compromise, insulated) and material to the track's specific needs, focusing on strength, elasticity, ease of maintenance, and environmental conditions, ensuring it provides seamless continuity, maintains gauge, and accommodates thermal expansion while minimizing wear and cost for safe, long-term operation.

 

When it comes to sourcing railway fish plate, GNEE RAIL is always your reliable and trusted partner. Because we are:

 

• With over 60% market share in Chinese railway field for rail joints.

 

• A long-term supplier of CRCC for both domestic and overseas contracted rail projects in over 50 countries all over the world.

 

• Over 30 kinds of standard and non-standard fishplates can be customized for global buyers.

 

• Granted ISO9001-2000 certificate and with approved license from China's Railway Ministry to produce railway products.

 

• Consistent quality guaranteed by 16 strict quality testing steps.

 

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