Which steel is used in rails?
Jan 20, 2026
Steel rails, also called railroad rails, are primarily used for railway tracks in transportation systems. They are a key component of railway systems, providing a stable and durable track for passenger trains, freight trains, and high-speed rail networks or subways.
What is rail steel made of?
Rail steel is primarily a high-carbon alloy steel, made from iron with specific percentages of carbon (around 0.6-0.8%), manganese (0.7-1.2%), silicon, and trace elements like chromium, phosphorus, and sulfur, designed for extreme hardness, wear resistance, and toughness to handle heavy, fast-moving loads. While standard carbon-manganese steel is common, some rails use specialized alloy steels or undergo heat treatments (quenching & tempering) for even greater strength, especially in heavy-haul or high-speed lines.
Key Components:
- Carbon (C): Provides essential hardness, usually 0.6% to 0.8%.
- Manganese (Mn): Improves toughness, wear resistance, and hardenability, typically 0.7% to 1.2%.
- Silicon (Si): Added for strength and to help deoxidize the steel during production, around 0.1% - 0.5%.
- Chromium (Cr), Vanadium (V), Molybdenum (Mo): Used in alloy steels for significantly enhanced hardness and fatigue resistance in demanding applications.
- Phosphorus (P) & Sulfur (S): Kept to very low limits (e.g., <0.05%) as they can create brittleness.
Which steel is used in rails?
The steel used in rails is selected not only for strength but also for durability under rolling contact fatigue, wear resistance, and thermal/mechanical stability. Key types include:
- High-carbon manganese steels (U71Mn, U75V) – These are widely used in China and for industrial rails worldwide. The manganese content improves hardness and wear resistance, while controlled carbon ensures toughness to resist cracking under repeated loads.
- Alloyed carbon steels for European rails (R260, R350HT) – These steels are heat-treated to achieve high hardness (≈350 HB) and excellent fatigue life, suitable for heavy freight and high-speed lines.
- Special crane and industrial rail steels (DIN536, QU) – Often based on U71Mn or U75V but with optimized rolling and heat treatment processes to handle point loads from crane wheels, preventing permanent indentation and prolonging service life.
- Additional considerations – Modern rails may also include microalloying with vanadium or chromium to enhance fatigue strength, or surface treatments to reduce wear in corrosive or high-friction environments.
| 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. |
At GNEE RAIL, we provide rails made from these steels, tailored for different applications: train tracks, mining rails, and industrial crane rails.
| 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.
