Steel Rails: Important Part of The Railway System

Railway accessories are part of the railway lines. Railway equipment is an important part of the railway system, and steel rails are the main feature of railway equipment.
From the fragile cast iron tracks in British mines in the beginning to the high-strength and high-toughness alloy steel rails today, the evolution of materials is itself a metallurgical epic. Modern steel rails are cast from refined molten steel and then undergo high-temperature rolling, with the internal crystal grains being forged into a dense and uniform structure. The just-right proportions of carbon, manganese, and silicon in the steel make it both hard and tough, capable of withstanding huge pressure without cracking, and able to withstand the repeated impact of wheels billions of times.

The steel rails themselves are as precise as clocks. Their cross-section is not randomly formed but is an engineered I-shaped structure – the wide tread provides stable support, the slender waist facilitates elastic buffering, and the thick base ensures firm fixation. Taking the widely used UIC60 steel rails as an example, each meter weighs 60 kilograms, and its cross-sectional design is a perfect balance of strength and efficiency.
However, even the strongest steel rails cannot fight alone. They need a rigorous supporting system: solid concrete or wooden sleepers are deeply embedded in the ballast and gravel layer to form a stable base; the ingenious fastening system, like a loyal guard, precisely locks the steel rails onto the sleepers and leaves a small gap to accommodate the thermal expansion and contraction of the steel. Railway workers stand beside the steel rails all year round, adjusting the torque of the bolts, measuring the millimeter difference in the track gauge, and it is precisely these meticulous tasks that ensure the smooth and safe operation of the trains while they are speeding.
Steel also has fatigue points. Under the repeated heavy pressure and friction over the years， fine cracks will appear on the surface of the steel rails， and damage gradually accumulates inside. Engineers predict the fatigue life through precise calculations and replace them before the critical point. And the light of technology has never stopped shining on this steel road： seamless track technology， by welding long rails， significantly eliminates the annoying “clicking” sound and brings a smoother journey； heavy steel rails continuously break through the load-bearing limit； intelligent monitoring systems are like installing sensory nerves on the track， using sensors and data analysis to provide real-time warnings of potential hazards.

Classification.

Steel rails are classified by the approximate weight in kilograms per meter into heavy rails and light rails：
① Heavy rails.

According to the type of steel used， they are divided into： ordinary manganese steel rails， copper-containing low-carbon steel rails， high-silicon copper-containing steel rails， copper rails， manganese rails， silicon rails， etc. There are mainly three types： 38， 43， and 50 kg. In addition， there are 45 kg rails for a few lines， and 60 kg rails for lines with large transportation volume and high speed are planned to be used. GB2585—81 stipulates the technical conditions of 38-50 kg/m steel rails.
② Light rails.

There are mainly different rail types, such as 9， 12， 15， 22， 30， etc.
(2) Manufacturing and Usage. Steel rails are cast from carbonized steel of the type smelted in a converter or oxygen converter. Their usage is to withstand the operating pressure and impact load of locomotives and vehicles.
(3) Production Plants and Importing Countries. The steel rails currently used in China are mainly produced by some domestic steel mills， such as Anshan Steel， Wuhan Steel， etc. In addition， due to the large amount of usage， some steel rails and steel rail accessories that meet the technical standards of our country and are determined according to the relevant standards of foreign countries are still imported. The importing countries include Japan， Germany， France， the United Kingdom， Russia， Australia， etc.

2. Size Specifications
   The length and other geometric dimensions and tolerances of the steel rails are stipulated by the corresponding standards in “8” for heavy and light rails.
3. Appearance Quality
   (1) The rolled steel rails should be straight and should not have significant bending and twisting. For local bending and twisting of heavy and light rails and their correction deformation amounts， the inclination of the rail end face， etc.， should not exceed the standard regulations.
   (2) The surface of the steel rails should be clean and smooth， and should not have cracks， scars， scratches， etc.； the end face should not have shrinkage cavity marks and interlayers， etc. For the defects and geometric quantities allowed on the overall surface of heavy and light rails， they should all not exceed the standard regulations.
4. Railways have long transcended the realm of merely cold engineering projects and have become tangible tracks that drive human civilization forward. In the 19th century, the steel roads pierced through the wilderness of North America, and gold prospectors and immigration waves moved west along these tracks, transforming the wilderness into bustling towns. The Trans-Siberian Railway traversed the ice and tundra, tightly connecting the vast territory. During times of war, the tracks became the lifeline for supplies and troops, with their strategic value being irreplaceable. It reshaped the concept of geography, shortened the distance of time and space, restructured the economic map, and more profoundly changed the way people perceive the world. The rhythm of the impact between the wheels and the rails became the most symbolic marching tune of the industrial age.

Supplier

Luoyang Fonyo Heavy Industries Co., Ltd, founded in 1998,is a manufacturer in railway casting parts. Our factory covers an area of 72,600㎡, with more than 300 employees, 32 technicians, including 5 senior engineers, 11 assistant engineers, and 16 technicians. Our production capacity is 30,000 tons per year. Currently, we mainly produce casting, machining, and assembly for locomotive, railcar, high-speed trains, mining equipment, wind power, etc.
We are the railway parts supply to CRRC(including more than 20 branch companies and subsidiaries of CRRC),Gemac Engineering Machinery, Sanygroup, Citic Heavy Industries, etc. Our products have been exported to Russia, the United States, Germany, Argentina, Japan, France, South Africa, Italy and other countries all over the world.
Contact Information:
Email:sales@railwaypart.com
Mobile:008615515321683