What type of steel is railroad track?
Jan 22, 2026
A steel rail functions as a continuous elastic beam supported by sleepers and fastening systems, transferring concentrated wheel contact forces into the track foundation while maintaining geometric stability. Its section modulus and head width influence bending resistance and wear behavior, which are critical for high-speed lines, heavy-haul corridors, and industrial shuttle tracks. Any mismatch between rail profile and service conditions can result in premature damage or alignment failure.
For such complex applications, GNEE RAIL supplies both standard and non-standard rail profiles, supports customized rolling for special drawings, and offers system-level matching of rails with baseplates, rail pads, and fastening assemblies to ensure full-track compatibility.
What type of steel is railroad track?
Railroad tracks are made from special high-strength carbon or alloy steels, commonly referred to as rail steels, which are engineered to withstand heavy loads, repeated fatigue, wear, and impact. Ordinary structural steel cannot meet the demands of rail service, so specific grades are used depending on application, load, and environmental conditions.
The main types of steel used in railroad tracks include:
- High-carbon manganese steel – The most common grade, such as U71Mn, used in both railway and crane rails. It contains approximately 0.65–0.80% carbon and 0.70–1.20% manganese, giving excellent wear resistance, toughness, and fatigue strength.
| Steel Grade | C(%) | Si | Mn | Cr | V | P | S | Tensile Strength (Rm/MPa) |
| U71Mn | 0.65~0.76 | 0.15~0.58 | 0.70~1.40 | – | – | ≤0.035 | ≤0.030 | ≥880 |
- Vanadium-alloy steels – Such as U75V, used where higher strength, fatigue resistance, and crack resistance are needed, for example, in high-speed lines or heavily curved sections.
| Steel Grade | C(%) | Si | Mn | Cr | V | P | S | Tensile Strength (Rm/MPa) |
| U75V | 0.71~0.80 | 0.50~0.80 | 0.75~1.05 | – | 0.04~0.12 | ≤0.035 | ≤0.030 | ≥980 |
- European EN grades – Rails are classified by strength, e.g., R260 (general-purpose rail steel) and R350HT (heat-treated, high-hardness rail for heavy-haul or high-wear zones).
| Grade | Standard / Region | Typical Composition (wt%) |
| R260 | EN 13674-1 (Europe) | C: 0.67–0.80, Mn: 0.90–1.20, Si: ≤0.50 |
| R350HT | EN 13674-1 (Europe) | C: 0.75–0.85, Mn: 0.80–1.20, Cr: 0.20–0.50 |
- Other alloy steels – Some rails incorporate chromium or micro-alloying elements to improve hardness, wear resistance, and toughness, especially for industrial, mining, or crane applications.
These steels are also weldable, allowing for continuous welded rails, which improve ride quality and reduce maintenance.
Do rails of different standards use the same materials?
No, rails of different standards do not always use the same materials, although there is some overlap. The material of a rail-its chemical composition, heat treatment, and mechanical properties-is often specified to meet the traffic load, speed, climate, and safety requirements of that standard, which vary between countries and applications.
For example:
- GB (China) rails – Common grades include U71Mn for general use and U75V for higher-strength requirements. These are high-carbon manganese steels designed for both railway and crane rails.
| 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 | |
- UIC/EN (Europe) rails – Typically use grades such as R260 for standard lines and R350HT for heavy-haul or high-wear sections. These are carbon-manganese or micro-alloyed steels, sometimes heat-treated for hardness and toughness.
| Standard: UIC860 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Dimension(mm) | Weight (kg/m) |
Length(m) | |||
| Head | Height | Bottom | Thickness | |||
| UIC50 | 70 | 152 | 125 | 15 | 50.46 | 12-25 |
| UIC54 | 70 | 159 | 140 | 16 | 54.43 | |
| UIC60 | 74.3 | 172 | 150 | 16.5 | 60.21 | |
- JIS (Japan) rails – JIS rails like 15KG–CR100 often use medium to high-carbon steels with controlled manganese content. The exact composition differs from European or Chinese grades to meet Japan's loading and environmental conditions.
| Standard: JIS E 1103/1101 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Dimension(mm) | Weight (kg/m) |
Length(m) | |||
| Head | Height | Bottom | Thickness | |||
| JIS 15KG | 42.86 | 79.37 | 79.37 | 8.33 | 15.2 | 9-10 |
| JIS 22KG | 50.8 | 93.66 | 93.66 | 10.72 | 22.3 | 9-10 |
| JIS 30A | 60.33 | 107.95 | 107.95 | 12.3 | 30.1 | 9-10 |
| JIS 37A | 62.71 | 122.24 | 122.24 | 13.49 | 37.2 | 10-25 |
| JIS 50N | 65 | 153 | 127 | 15 | 50.4 | 10-25 |
| CR 73 | 100 | 135 | 140 | 32 | 73.3 | 10-12 |
| CR 100 | 120 | 150 | 155 | 39 | 100.2 | 10-12 |
- AREMA/ASCE (USA) rails – Use rail steels expressed in terms of grade numbers (e.g., 115RE, 136RE), which define yield strength and toughness. Material may include carbon-manganese or alloy steels with slightly different chemistry than EN or GB rails.
| ASTM standard, AREMA standard | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Dimension(mm) | Weight (kg/m) |
Length(m) | |||
| Head | Height | Foot | Thickness | |||
| ASCE 25 | 38.1 | 69.85 | 69.85 | 7.54 | 12.4 | 6-12 |
| ASCE 30 | 42.86 | 79.38 | 79.38 | 8.33 | 14.88 | |
| ASCE 40 | 47.62 | 88.9 | 88.9 | 9.92 | 19.84 | |
| ASCE 60 | 60.32 | 107.95 | 107.95 | 12.3 | 29.76 | |
| ASCE 75 | 62.71 | 122.24 | 122.24 | 13.49 | 37.2 | 12-25 |
| ASCE 85 | 65.09 | 131.76 | 131.76 | 14.29 | 42.17 | |
| ASCE 90 | 69.09 | 130.18 | 142.88 | 14.29 | 44.65 | |
| ASCE 115 | 69.06 | 139.7 | 168.28 | 15.88 | 56.9 | |
| ASCE 136 | 74.61 | 152.4 | 185.74 | 17.46 | 67.41 | |
| ASCE 175 | 109.86 | 152.4 | 152.4 | 38.1 | 86.8 | |
- AS (Australia) rails – Rails such as 31KG–89KG often use high-carbon, manganese-alloy steels similar to U71Mn, but with stricter requirements for fatigue resistance in heavy-haul mining lines.
| Standard: AS 1085 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Dimension(mm) | Weight (kg/m) |
Length(m) | |||
| Head | Height | Bottom | Thickness | |||
| 31KG | 63.5 | 117.5 | 108 | 11.5 | 31.5 | 8-25 |
| 47KG | 70 | 141.3 | 127 | 14.3 | 46.5 | |
| 50KG | 70 | 154 | 127 | 15 | 50.8 | |
| 60KG | 70 | 170 | 146 | 16.5 | 61 | |
| 68KG | 73.4 | 186 | 152 | 17.5 | 67.6 | |
| 73KG | 70 | 157 | 146 | 32 | 73.63 | |
| 86KG | 102 | 102 | 165 | 84.11 | 85.5 | |
| 89KG | 102 | 114 | 178 | 51 | 89.81 | |
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.
