What type of steel is used in rail tracks?
Jan 22, 2026
A steel rail is a precision-rolled structural component that provides a continuous, durable running surface for wheels while transmitting dynamic and static loads to the sleepers and track foundation. Its cross-section and metallurgical properties are designed to resist wear, fatigue, and deformation, ensuring long-term alignment stability and safe vehicle guidance in railways, industrial tracks, and crane systems.
What type of steel is used in rail tracks?
When Henry Bessemer discovered the process for producing steel on an industrial scale in the 1850's it soon became economically feasible to use steel for railway construction. The first steel rails used anywhere in the world were laid in Derby station on the Midland Railway in 1857. Steel is a much stronger material, which steadily replaced iron for use in the production of rails and allowed much longer lengths of rails to be rolled.
Ever since, in principal, all the rail track materials are made of steel. The hardness and wear resistance of rail steels have progressively increased over the past century as steelmaking methods have improved along with increase in the carbon level, selected alloy additions and advanced accelerated cooling processes.
The properties of rail steel are achieved through control of carbon and manganese contents. Carbon content of rail steel can go upto a maximum of 0.82 % and manganese content upto a maximum of 1.7 %. The normal rails are made of steel containing 0.7 % carbon and 1 % manganese, which are called as carbon-manganese rail steel
Common Rail Steel Grades Worldwide:
| 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. |
Nowadays, rails are mostly produced by continuous casting followed by immediate multi-stage process in the rolling mills. They are normally made of carbon-manganese steel composition with pearlitic or bainitic microstructure.
Steel Rail Type
- The type of rail is classified by kilograms per meter of rail length. For example, steel rails used in China's railways are 75kg/m, 60kg/m, 50kg/m, 43kg/m and 38kg/m.
- Classified by Application: GNEE RAIL supplies crane rail( QU120,QU100,QU80,QU70), heavy rail( 38, 43, 50, 60, 75kg) and light rail( 9,12,15,22,30kg/m).
- Stee rail in foreign standards: British Standard: BS series (90A, 80A, 75A, 75R, 60A, etc.) German standard: DIN series crane rails. International Railway Union: UIC series. American Standard: ASCE series. Japanese standard: JIS series.
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 |
