What steel are rails made of?

A steel rail is a continuous metallic guide that allows vehicles to follow a predetermined path safely while distributing loads to the track substructure, and it must withstand repeated dynamic stresses and environmental conditions such as temperature fluctuations and corrosion. GNEE RAIL provides all-standard rails across GB, JIS, DIN, UIC, AS, and AREMA/ASCE, offers multiple steel grades (U71Mn, 50Mn, R260, R350HT, 900A), and supports installation engineering, custom fabrication, protective coatings, and complete project documentation.

What is the function of steel rail?

The primary function of a steel rail is to guide train wheels, providing a smooth, low-resistance surface for movement while bearing and distributing immense wheel loads to the track structure (sleepers/ties) below, ensuring stability and directional control for rolling stock. Rails also transmit forces from traction, braking, and thermal expansion, and in electrified railways, they can act as electrical conductors for signaling systems.

Guidance: The rail’s profile keeps wheelsets aligned, preventing derailment and maintaining gauge, crucial for safe movement.

Load Support: They bear massive vertical, lateral, and longitudinal forces from trains, transferring them to the sleepers and ballast.

Smooth Surface: Rails create a continuous, low-friction path for wheels, minimizing resistance and allowing for efficient, fast travel.

What steel are rails made of?

Railway rails are primarily made from high-strength, hot-rolled medium-carbon steel, often around grade 1084 or higher, with specific carbon (0.7-0.8%) and manganese (0.7-1%) content for durability, though advanced alloys and heat treatments (like head-hardening) are used for demanding applications to resist wear, fatigue, and heavy loads, ensuring long service life.

Key Steel Types & Compositions:

Carbon-Manganese Steel: The most common, combining carbon for hardness and manganese for strength, providing a balance of wear resistance and toughness.

Alloy Steel: Incorporates elements like chromium, nickel, or vanadium for enhanced wear, fatigue, and corrosion resistance, ideal for high-stress areas.

Head-Hardened Steel: The rail head (top surface) is heat-treated (quenched & tempered) to create a very hard surface, significantly extending life in curves and switches.

Common Rail Steel Grades Worldwide:

Q235B	Mechanical property						Chemical composition(%)
	Yield strength		Tensile strength		Elongation	Hardness	C	Si	Mn	S	P
	MPa	kg/mm²	MPa	kg/mm²	min	HB		≤		≤	≤
	≥	≥
	235	24	375-460	38-47	26%		0.12-0.22	0.35	0.30-0.70	0.045	0.045

55Q	Mechanical property						Chemical composition(%)
	Yield strength		Tensile strength		Elongation	Hardness	C	Si	Mn	S	P
	MPa	kg/mm²	MPa	kg/mm²	min	HBW				≤	≤
	≥	≥	≥	≥		≥
			685	69		197	0.50-0.60	0.15-0.35	0.60-0.90	0.04	0.04

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.

Why are rails made of steel?

Rails are made of steel because its exceptional strength, durability, wear resistance, and ability to handle immense pressure and heavy loads make it ideal for supporting trains, while also offering good fatigue resistance and cost-effectiveness, unlike brittle iron or softer materials. The specific composition of rail steel, controlled for carbon, manganese, and impurities, ensures it can withstand constant friction, vibration, and harsh weather for long periods.

Key reasons steel is used for rails:

Strength & Load Bearing: Steel can support the massive weight of trains and the immense stress from constant use better than other materials, preventing deformation.

Durability & Wear Resistance: It withstands extreme friction, impact, and weathering, resisting wear and tear for years, which minimizes maintenance.

Fatigue Resistance: Specialized rail steel is engineered with specific elements like carbon and manganese to resist cracking and fatigue from repeated stress

.
Cost-Effectiveness: Despite high initial costs, its long lifespan and reduced maintenance make steel an economical choice over time.

Tunable Properties: The chemical makeup (carbon, manganese, silicon) can be precisely controlled during manufacturing to achieve the exact hardness, strength, and ductility needed for different track conditions.

Historical Evolution: Steel replaced less durable materials like wood and brittle cast iron as engineering advanced, allowing for longer, smoother, and safer tracks.

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