What is the material of railway track steel?
Jan 19, 2026
Rail track is an essential component of rail track, and its function is to guide the train wheels moving forward by withstanding the enormous pressure pushed by the wheels. Steel rail shall provide smooth, stable and continuous rolling surface for the passing train wheels. In electrical railway or automatic block section, railway track can also be used as track circuit.
What is the material of railway track steel?
Railway tracks are primarily made of high-strength carbon steel, specifically engineered to endure heavy loads, resist wear, and maintain structural integrity over long service life. The material must balance hardness, toughness, and ductility to handle the repeated stresses of train wheels.
Common Steel Grades for Rails:
| Standard / Region | Typical Rail Steel Grade | Key Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| China (GB/T) | U71Mn, U75V, U78CrV | High tensile strength, excellent wear resistance, suitable for heavy axle loads |
| UIC (Europe) | R260, R350HT | High-carbon pearlitic steel, resistant to rolling contact fatigue |
| American (AREMA / ASTM) | 115RE, 136RE | Heat-treated carbon steel with high hardness, commonly used in freight and passenger lines |
| Japanese (JIS) | JIS 37kg–50N | Lower carbon content but high product consistency for urban and light rail |
| British (BS) | BS 70–100 | High-strength carbon steel designed for mainline and heavy freight applications |
Why These Steels Are Used?
- Wear Resistance: Rails must resist abrasion from steel wheels over millions of train passes.
- Fatigue Strength: Rails experience repeated bending and contact stresses. High-carbon steels like U71Mn or R350HT reduce the risk of cracks.
- Toughness: Rails must withstand impact and shock loads without fracturing.
- Formability: Steel can be hot-rolled into precise rail profiles (I-shaped cross-section with head, web, and foot) while maintaining mechanical properties.
Chemical Composition Examples of Common Rail Steel
| Grade | C (%) | Si (%) | Mn (%) | Cr (%) | V (%) | P (%) | S (%) | Tensile Strength (MPa) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U71Mn | 0.65–0.76 | 0.15–0.58 | 0.70–1.40 | – | – | ≤0.035 | ≤0.030 | ≥880 |
| U75V | 0.71–0.80 | 0.50–0.80 | 0.75–1.05 | – | 0.04–0.12 | ≤0.035 | ≤0.030 | ≥980 |
| R350HT | 0.70–0.82 | 0.13–0.60 | 0.60–1.25 | – | – | ≤0.025 | ≤0.025 | ≥1175 |
How to Choose Rail Steel for Different Applications?
- Heavy-haul lines: U71Mn or R350HT for high tensile strength.
- Light rail & industrial lines: JIS 22kg–37kg for moderate loads.
- High-speed rail: R350HT and U75V to resist rolling contact fatigue.
- Crane rails / ports: QU70–QU120, made from U71Mn, with extra hardness for wheel impact.
Steel rail profile
Steel rail can be divided into three basic types based on the steel rails weight. They are light rails, heavy rails and crane rails.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 |
