Which steel is used for the manufacture of rails?
Jan 22, 2026
A steel rail is a precision-rolled steel component designed to carry rolling wheels and transfer dynamic loads to sleepers and the track bed. Its engineered cross-section, coupled with specific metallurgical properties, ensures long-term wear resistance, impact toughness, and dimensional stability under continuous traffic. Steel rails form the essential structural backbone of railways, industrial tracks, and crane runways.
Which steel is used for the manufacture of rails?
Rails are primarily made from high-carbon manganese steel, a strong, hard steel alloy containing carbon (around 0.7-0.8%) and manganese (around 1-1.7%) for excellent wear resistance, hardness, and toughness to withstand heavy loads and repeated impacts, with specific grades like R260 and R350HT being common, sometimes with chromium or vanadium additions and heat treatment for enhanced properties.
Key Components & Properties:
- Carbon: Provides hardness, with content up to about 0.82%.
- Manganese: Enhances toughness and wear resistance, often 1-1.7%.
- Alloying Elements: Silicon, chromium, vanadium, or niobium are added to improve strength and performance.
Common Grades (European Standards):
| Grade | Standard / Region | Typical Composition (wt%) | Key Features & Applications |
| R260 | EN 13674-1 (Europe) | C: 0.67–0.80, Mn: 0.90–1.20, Si: ≤0.50 | Base-grade rail; cold-rolled; widely used on medium-traffic lines. Good weldability and cost efficiency. |
| R350HT | EN 13674-1 (Europe) | C: 0.75–0.85, Mn: 0.80–1.20, Cr: 0.20–0.50 | Heat-treated (online/offline); UTS ≥1100 MPa; 30–50% longer life than R260. Standard for high-speed (TGV, ICE) and heavy-haul lines. |
| Grade 260 | AREMA (North America) | C: ~0.77, Mn: ~1.0–1.2, Si: ~0.2 | Equivalent to R260; used with rail sections like 115RE, 136RE. Common on Class I freight networks. |
| Grade 350 | AREMA + Mill Specs (USA/Canada) | C: 0.78–0.83, Mn: 0.90–1.20, Cr: 0.2–0.6, + V/Nb (microalloyed) | TMCP or heat-treated; UTS ~1180–1280 MPa. For demanding curves, heavy axle loads (>33 ton), and high-tonnage corridors. |
| BH Rail (Bainitic) | JIS E 1101 (Japan), adopted in EU/India | C: 0.65–0.80, Mn: 1.0–1.4, Cr/Mo/Ni (optional, mill-specific) | Bainitic microstructure; high strength (UTS ~1250–1350 MPa) + superior fracture toughness. Used on Shinkansen curves and high-wear segments. |
| U71Mn | GB/T 2585 (China) | C: 0.65–0.77, Mn: 1.10–1.40, Si: 0.15–0.35 | Work-hardening carbon-manganese rail; standard for 50kg/m, 60kg/m rails on Chinese mainlines. Comparable to R260/R350 in performance. |
| U75V | GB/T 2585 (China) | C: 0.67–0.77, Mn: 0.70–1.00, V: 0.04–0.12 | Vanadium-microalloyed; higher strength & fatigue resistance than U71Mn. For high-speed (e.g., Beijing–Shanghai HSR) and heavy-haul lines. |
What are the different types of steel rail?
Steel rails are categorized by weight (light/heavy), material composition (carbon, alloy, head-hardened), application (heavy rail, crane rail, grooved rail), and international standards (AREMA, UIC, JIS, BS, etc.), with common types including standard carbon steel for general use and specialized alloy/heat-treated rails for high-speed or heavy-haul lines, all designed to guide wheels while bearing immense loads.
By Weight & Application
- Light Rails: Lighter profiles (e.g., 9kg, 15kg, 22kg/m) used for lighter traffic, industrial sidings, or temporary tracks.
- Heavy Rails: Heavier profiles (e.g., 43kg, 50kg, 60kg/m) for main lines, high-speed, and high-volume traffic, providing strength and stability.
- Crane Rails: Specifically designed for overhead cranes, often made of manganese steel (e.g., QU70, QU100) for high wear resistance.
- Grooved Rails: Used in streetcar or tram systems, featuring a groove for the wheel flange.
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.
| Standard | Sepc. | Material Typical Grade |
| UIC860 | UIC54 | 700,900A,900B |
| UIC60 | ||
| EN13674.1 | 5.00E+02 | R200,R350HT,R260Mn,R35LHT,R320Cr,R370CrHT |
| 5.40E+02 | ||
| 6.00E+02 | ||
| 6.00E+03 | ||
| BS-11-1985 | BS80A | 700,900A,900B |
| BS90A | ||
| BS100A | ||
| AREMA | 115RE | SS,HH,LA,IH |
| 136RE | ||
| ASCE60 | U71Mn | |
| ASCE85 | U71Mn | |
| GB 2585-2007 | 50kg/m | U71Mn |
| 60kg/m | U75V | |
| 75kg/m | ||
| TB/T2344-2012 | 50kg/m | U71Mn,U75V,U77MnCr |
| 60kg/m | U78CrV | |
| 75kg/m | ||
| GB 11264-1989 | 8kg/m | Q235 |
| 12kg/m | Q235 | |
| 15kg/m | 55Q, Q235 | |
| 18kg/m | 55Q, Q235 | |
| 22kg/m | 55Q, Q235 | |
| 24kg/m | 55Q, Q235 | |
| 30kg/m | 55Q, Q235 | |
| 38kg/m | 50Mn, U71Mn | |
| 43kg/m | 50Mn, U71Mn | |
| GB Crane rails | QU70 | U71Mn |
| QU80 | U71Mn | |
| QU100 | U71Mn | |
| QU120 | U71Mn |
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.
