What are the three types of rails?
Jan 14, 2026
Rail tracks, also known as railroad rails or steel rails, are essential components of railway track systems. In conjunction with railroad switches, they enable trains to run smoothly without needing to change direction. Typically, a rail track consists of two parallel steel rails firmly laid on railway sleepers. With the continuous development of the railway industry, steel has become the preferred material due to its high load-bearing capacity and durability. Steel rails effectively distribute weight, maintaining the stability of railway operations, while the ballast stones beneath provide elasticity and absorb dynamic forces. In modern construction, steel rails can be laid on concrete foundations or even embedded directly into concrete for enhanced stability and longevity.
What are the three types of rails?
Depending on the application, load capacity, and installation environment, rails are classified into three main types: heavy rail, crane rails, and light rails. These types serve different purposes, from mainline passenger and freight transport to industrial crane operation and urban tram systems. As a professional supplier, GNEE RAIL provides all three types of rails, together with complete rail fastening systems including elastic rail clips, baseplates, rail pads, and customized solutions for diverse international projects.
Chinese standard steel rail
| 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 | |
| 22 KG/M | 93.66 | 50.8 | 93.66 | 10.72 | 22.3 | |
| 24 KG/M | 107 | 51 | 90 | 10.9 | 24.46 | |
| 30 KG/M | 107.95 | 60.33 | 107.95 | 12.3 | 30.1 | |
| 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 Rail | QU 70 | 120 | 70 | 120 | 28 | 52.8 |
| QU 80 | 130 | 80 | 130 | 32 | 63.69 | |
| QU 100 | 150 | 100 | 150 | 38 | 88.96 | |
| QU 120 | 170 | 120 | 170 | 44 | 118.1 | |
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.
- ASCE Series Rails: These include rails such as ASCE25, ASCE30, ASCE40, ASCE50, ASCE60, ASCE70, ASCE80, ASCE85 and ASCE45, ASCE, commonly used in lighter industrial applications, including: light overhead crane, mining tracks, automated warehouse retrieval systems.
- UIC Series Rails: Widely used in European and international rail systems, UIC50, UIC54, and UIC60 are common crane rail profiles that offer high strength and wear resistance for diverse industrial applications.
- JIS Series Rails: JIS Standard Steel Rail is the hot-rolled rail manufactured according to JIS E1103/1101 and JIS E1103-91. It has light rails, heavy rails, and crane rails.models like of JIS15kg, JIS22KG, JIS30kg, JIS37A, JIS50kg, JIS60kg, 50KGN, CR73, CR100
- EN Steel Rails: EN Standard Rail is a standard for railway track products developed by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and belongs to the EN 13674 series. Size: 54E1, 60E1, 39E1, 45E1, 49E1, 49E2, 49E5, 50E1, 50E6, 54E4
| Standard | Sepc. | Material Typical Grade |
|---|---|---|
| UIC860 | UIC54 | 700,900A,900B |
| UIC60 | ||
| EN13674.1 | 50E1 | R200,R350HT,R260Mn,R35LHT,R320Cr,R370CrHT |
| 54E1 | ||
| 60E1 | ||
| 60E2 | ||
| BS-11-1985 | BS80A | 700,900A,900B |
| BS90A | ||
| BS100A | ||
| AREMA | 115RE | SS,HH,LA,IH |
| 136RE | ||
| ASCE60 | U71Mn | |
| ASCE85 | 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.
